Riddles and Reasons
by Nocturne05
Summary: This is Avatar AU/ Tokka story that's a combination of Avatar and Star Wars KOTOR . 1 yr after Revan's disappearance, a lone wolf mercenary discovers a holocron that belonged to the Redeemed Sith Lord. What ensues will change his life...again. Tokka
1. Prologue

Riddles and Reasons

Prologue:

_He led us to victory. He led us to death. Into the deepest jungles, into the coldest nights, and into the harshest Hell, that is where he led us. Many comrades fell in combat, others into darkness, and yet even know we'd still follow him if he but asked. _

_Why? Why would we gladly leap back into that darkness? I'll tell you why. It is because he gave us a reason, a reason to live, to exist, and to do more than just survive. We became his right hand, his weapon, his dagger hidden beneath his robes. And he…he became our savior, our benefactor, our father. To those that have been forsaken, there is no greater gift to be had than to be needed, and needed we were…we are. _

_This is why even now, after so much has been lost, and so much sacrificed that we still continue the mission he left for us. That special mission that we only now began to realize was hidden within our very essences, hidden amidst riddles of the night. It is perhaps the simplest he ever gave us. _

_Do you want to know what that mission is? I'll tell you. It is to continue where he left off. It is vengeance…_

* * *

**Okay, just a fair warning this is the first story I've ever posted online, so expect some mistakes and amature writing, at least in the begining LOL. Also, I'm a huge Tokka fan (and now shipper) so expect it. **

**Like the summary says, this story takes place about a year or two after the events of the Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic I, where Revan chose the Light over the Darkness. Anyone who's ever played the game will notice some similarities and parallels as well as some reoccuirng characters, but it's a completely diff story from the game. Some people may figure out a big piece of the plot before I give it all away (I seriously doubt you'll get it all though), but please don't ruin it for everyone else. **

**I have referenced a lot of Star wars to try and make it a smooth a transition as possible, but there may still be some minor mistakes in the time line and such. Still, it's a AU so no worries LOL.**

**Sokka will be the main character in this story, and I"ve introduced a few OCs, so keep a look out for them. **

**The prologue is actually a journal made by one of the characters, but I'm not saying who just yet.**

**Please feel free to comment. Constructive criticism is welcome as long as I can learn something from it, so enjoy. And if you're unfamiliar to Star Wars or even the Knights of the Old Republic franchise, feel free to ask questions and I'll do my best to answer them. Be forewarned though, I'm still new to FF, so it may take a while to respond and update **

**Oh and I final discalaimer: I don't own Avatar or Star Wars, I just borrowed the setting and characters from the two to try and create a new original story.**


	2. Chapter 1: Flight

Chapter 1:

Riddles and Reasons

Chapter 1:

Flight

_Guard _duty_ was always so tiresome_, thought the Sith guard protecting the Sith Academy entrance into the ruins in the Valley of the Sith Lords. _The only ones who could ever get into the damn valley were the Sith who trained at the academy anyways. What was the point of having to stay at attention on a planet where hot days are all too common_? The planet was almost completely lifeless, barren, mountainous, windy, and full of opportunities to meet a premature death. _If any one was actually foolish enough to try and get through, be it through brute force or guise, then they'd be killed faster than a gizka in a rancor chamber, if they were lucky_. He heard stories of what happened to their prisoners, and it was never pretty. More often than not, death was a sweet release when it came to the Sith, and that thought alone was enough to bring him back to attention.

Still, nothing seemed out of the ordinary today. The only ones to come by were a few Sith Acolytes eager to prove their worth in the tombs, most likely dead by now, and a lone excavator sent to map out a newly restored portion of Ajunta Pall's tomb. Most of the tomb had been destroyed a few years back by Revan himself, and that in of itself earned the attention of the current Sith Lords. _Although_, he thought, _it was weird for him to be hooded and wearing a bandana to cover his face, especially considering that the winds aren't particularly harsh today_. _What was even stranger, though, was that he went in alone._ _Perhaps I was too hasty in letting him pass?_ Eventually, however, he dismissed this notion believing that the fool just had a bad sense of fashion and had made some powerful enemies in academy that used the tomb as an execution method for him. That wasn't very uncommon afterall.

Suddenly the guard's thoughts were disrupted by the opening of the doors beside him. He came to attention immediately and was soon in the presences of three of the most prominent and feared Sith in the academy. All wore traditional black Sith robes.

"Guard has anyone come through here recently?" asked the leader of the three. She was in her late teens, probably 19, and was attractive to be sure, but the only feelings she made him feel were fear and dread.

Somehow the guard managed to speak in a somewhat calm sort of voice, "Y-Yes mam. Some three academy students passed through here about 6 hours ago, and not long after that a lone excavator passed by on his way to the tomb of Ajunta Pall. He had the proper documentation and said he had to map out a newly recovered portion of the tomb." Never before had the guard felt so lucky to have been wearing his full body armor, otherwise she would have seen the sudden look of uncertainty on his face.

She seemed to take this into consideration as she brought her fingers to her chin in contemplation, and then she suddenly smiled. "Mai, Ty Lee, it seems a Jedi spy has slipped in past our defenses and is now plundering our heritage. Let's show him what we do to grave robbers." She began to set out in the direction of the Valley with the other two girls in tow, but then stopped. "Oh, by the way girls, what good is a guard who can't safeguard his post."

The guard suddenly felt himself go paler than an albino cath hound. He new what was coming.

"Hmm, I guess he's not good for much Azula." The girl with the long, braided ponytail, and a far too cheerful tone of voice replied.

Before the guard could even respond, Azula turned and unleashed a blast of Force lightning that killed him instantly before it smashed him into the stone wall with such force that the wall partially cracked and shattered. Azula then turned casually and continued on her way to the Valley of the Dark Lords with her two companions a few steps behind her.

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Deep inside Ajunta Pall's dark, cold tomb the supposed excavator was busy searching for something, but he didn't know what exactly. It was really more instinct than reason that drove him forward, and in truth he really wasn't sure why he was their in the first place. Nevertheless, this same instinct was the reason he wasn't dead yet, well that and his own skills as a former soldier and scout of the Republic Army. He had made his way through the labyrinth successfully without setting off any traps, and he also skillfully avoided all the beasts that had made their home within the tomb. "Heh, if I didn't know myself better I'd call myself a Jedi." The young man said to himself as he made his way through a narrow passage that had been recently cleared by Sith excavators, real ones that is.

Soon he found himself crossing a stone bridge that crossed a seemingly bottomless pit. _This is it_, he thought. A few minutes the later he had crossed the chasm and was now standing at the entrance to Ajunta's grave. The stone door had been forcefully removed by the previous excavators through some less than subtle means, so he was free to walk in and explore as he pleased.

The whole time he was there he couldn't help but chuckle at how the Sith's own security measures had made it so that he could search the tomb undisturbed. They had expected the academy to serve as a buffer to would be spies and thieves, and that the ancient Sith traps in the tomb would take care of any others that slipped through. More to the point, their overconfidence in their security's efficiency had made it slack enough for them to fail to notice his stolen documents and to fail to provide him with an appropriate security escort. _Lucky me_, he thought.

Upon entering, the young man quickly made his way to the back of the chamber, completely ignoring the Sith Lord's remains. The chamber itself was probably darker than any other part of the tomb, despite the recently installed artificial lights. In the center of the room what remained of Ajunta Pall was housed in an open stone coffin, the walls of the tomb were bare and cold, with the exception of a few carved out areas for vases and other artifacts. At the very back of the room there was a carved out space that at one point housed an elegant vase, which was now nothing more than sand and rubble. He began his search there by gently feeling around for any loose stones until…_Bingo_. With a sudden clank the switch opened a secret compartment a few feet away from where he was, and it revealed what looked like a small black pyramid. He quickly made his way over and took the pyramid in his hands, examining it closely by the recently installed lights in the tomb. It had several groves written in a language he didn't recognize, which was odd considering his linguistic skills, and it gave off a faint, warm pulse that almost made it seem alive. Despite his best efforts, however, he could not activate it. _Well, probably for the best_, _I_ _don't want to spend more time here than I have to after all_. With that he quickly stuffed the holocron in his side pack and began to make his way back out the tomb.

He'd made it only to the halfway point of the bridge out side the room when he was stopped dead in his tracks by a cold voice. "So, you actually made it this far into the tomb and found something our men missed, I'm impressed." Azula said as she eyed the irregular shape of an artifact in the young man's side pack. She was standing at the bridge's end, not thirty feet from him, and had two of her friends standing behind her, waiting for the command to attack.

_Crap! I knew this wasn't going to be easy, but did it have to be Lord Ozai's own apprentice?!_

He reached for the only weapon he had, a simple blaster pistol that he had stolen along with his disguise and false documents, but as soon as his hand reached the end of the pistol it suddenly flew out of his grasp and into Azula's waiting hand. "Honestly, did you really think this toy would do anything more than maybe injure you further? I'm actually doing you a favor." She grinned maliciously as she tossed the pistol into the pit.

"Well thank you for your concern, but I'd really would of preferred to keep that. I did have to return it after all." He responded with his own smile, although that gesture was almost wasted behind the bandana covering most of his face.

"What a charming fellow. Don't you agree ladies?"

Giggling, Ty Lee responded. "Well, the hood and bandana do bring out his blue eyes quite nicely."

The third girl, who had pale skin and black, long hair styled into two buns with ponytails merely shrugged and spoke in a somber tone that matched her complexion. "Well, can we just get this over with and take him back to the academy for interrogation? The moisture in this cave is messing up my hair and makeup."

"I suppose you're right Mai, we don't have time for chit-chat, and I'd love to know how a non-force sensitive got past our defenses so easily." Azula turned her gaze back to the young man. "If you cooperate with us, hand over whatever it is you found, and give us the details of your infiltration and employer I'll promise you a quick and painless death." She gave him another malicious grin. "That's far more generous a deal than I usually offer."

The young man stood his ground and kept a cool demeanor despite the fact that the situation was all but hopeless. _How am I going to get out of this one? I've got nothing left except two sonic mining charges that'll end up killing probably only me and_… Sudenly he was struck by inspiration. He made it seem like he was going to reach inside his pack for the holocron, but instead pulled out an active mining charge.

Azula's eyes suddenly narrowed and became stern. "Don't be foolish. That won't work on us and we won't simply let you play the martyr."

"I never said it was for either of us." He smiled and tossed the mine into the air above him. BOOM!! Suddenly the whole cave was alive with some awfully angry Shyrack who had just been rudely awakened from their slumber. They screeched and clawed as they made their way towards to the tomb's exit by the hundreds to avoid the pain of the sonic pulse. The three Sith stood their ground and kept their calm, but it was impossible to focus in on the intruder, with the Shyracks screeching all around them. They combined their dark energies to send a massive force wave through the center of the retreating creatures and cleared a line of sight between them and the intruder once again, but it was too late, he had vanished. "Damn!" Azula cursed. "He must've slipped out along with the first wave of the Shyrack, but he can't have gotten far."

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Elsewhere in the tomb.

_Well, that went pretty well. _Thanks to the commotion the sonic mine had stirred, the young man managed to sneak by the three girls without them noticing, but he had a few extra injuries and a nasty headache to show for his ingenuity. He was still gripping his ears, which wouldn't stop ringing, under what was left of his hood that now exposed his semi-long, dark brown hair. Amidst all his aches, however, he still maintained a triumphant grin. The Shyracks were known for their piercing screams and even more piercing claws and fangs, something he was reminded of when he ran with them for cover. _If I do make it out of here, then this stunt will add to my merc cred for sure_. About half an hour later he felt fresh air and a few minutes later he saw the light at the end of the tunnel. _Finally! It looks like I'll have another story for the ladies at the cantina tonight_. No sooner had he finished his thought, however, when two daggers struck the back of his right leg and left shoulder. He fell to the ground and quickly turned to see the dismal Mai at the end of the hall with her hands outstretched and her palms open, so as to better guide the several daggers she was suspending around herself with the Force. Beside her were the other two girls. "Excellent work Mai. And as for you," she turned to face him, "I applaud your effort, but it's the end of the line."

"You would think so, but no." The young man quickly took out his last sonic charge and shoved it into a small crevice right beside him. Then he used all the will power he had to remove the dagger in his leg and began running as best he could, although it looked more like awkward hoping.

Mai, however, had no intention of letting him get any further and sent a barrage of daggers at him. Fortunately the mine detonated and the resulting shockwave knocked the daggers away, but also sent him flying some five feet forward. His ears were ringing again and the pains in his leg and shoulder were know accompanied by an ache over his whole body. Nevertheless, he forced himself up and began running towards the exit. _Come on damn it!! Don't give up on me know body!_ He made it outside, but he had not time to savor the moment, he reached into his pack once more and pulled out a communicator. "Looks like we're going to have to go with Plan B HK, and for the sake of the Force, don't be late!" A well mannered voice responded over the communicator, "Statement: Understood master. ETA, five minutes." After having confirmed his evac, the young man put back the communicator and started making his way towards the cliff at the end of the valley. He was nearly there when Ajunta Pall's tomb exploded with dirt and rubble comming out of the entrance, followed by three very agitated Sith.

As soon as they spotted him at the far end of the valley all three girls used a burst of speed from the Force to make up for lost time. Soon they had him cornered at the end of the cliff, it was over. "You've put up a valiant effort, but unfortunately for you, there's nothing I hate more than an insect's attempt to stave off the inevitable." Azula raised her hands, positioning herself for another Force lightning attack. "Goodbye."

"Later," the young man smiled under his bandana while he gave a mock wave and jumped off the cliff.

The trio could hardly believe his foolishness. Even Azula's eyes widened in surprise for at least a second. "Hmph, he took the easy way out. That coward," she said as she made her way towards the cliffs edge followed by her two comrades.

"Awwww! And I really wanted to see what he looked like under that mask! I bet he was cute." Ty Lee said as she made a childish pout. Mai turned to face her friend. "You'll get over it. After all, I'm sure there are plenty of other spies out there that…" Her words were soon drowned out by the sound of starship engines.

A few seconds later a mid-sized star ship sprang up from the cliffs edge with the intruder sitting atop of it, still waving at the trio. The ship's turrets began to fire at the three Sith who all managed to narrowly avoid being blown away. Then the ship turned and headed out past the valley and started to ascend into space. By then the young mercenary had already made it aboard and began to limp his way into the medical room where he fell on the bed there. "HK, I'm going to need some med packs and a ton of painkillers."

An orange colored, human formed protocol droid, although much more heavily armored than normal droids, entered the room with a tray of what appeared to be white and red hexagonal packages, and a few injections. "Apologetic Statement: I'm sorry master but we only have 27 ounces of the anesthetics you requested. However, we do have plenty of med packs readily available."

Taking a few of the med packs, he applied them to his injuries as he chuckled. "I was only joking HK." He took one of the injections and used it on himself. "This will be more than enough. After he had finished he lay back down on the small bed and closed his eyes while he continued his conversation with his droid. "We're in trouble. We may have made it out of Korriban in one piece, but they probably made the ship."

The droid voiced his agreement "Confirming Statement: I do believe you are correct master. You did a splendid job disabling the turrets, but their tracking sensors would still have been operational despite your best efforts."

Placing his right hand on his front temple, the mercenary began to think. Finally he came up with his plan. "I guess we're going into hiding for a bit until we can get the I.D. signature changed on the _Lunar Wolf_ again. Set a course for Nar Shaddaa HK, its time we visited our old friend Tienn."

"Acknowledging Statement: Right away master!"

"Oh, and one more thing HK." The young mercenary brought himself up on his elbows for this. "Contact the Jedi Enclave on Alderaan. I have a feeling we're going to need their help for this one." The look on his face grew solemn as he said this.

This order perplexed the droid. "Query: Master, why would the Jedi help us? Our last venture with them didn't end well. Moreover, why do we even require their assistance? We've dealt with Sith before, and I'm sure you are more than capable of solving the "riddles" yourself."

"Don't worry about it HK, they're definitely going to want in on our mission." He stopped to look up at the droid now, his eyes strong and determined. "And as for the 'riddles,' only an experienced Force sensitive can solve them. I'm sure of that now that I have this." he pulled out the holocron. "And I'm no Jedi."

"Acknowledging Statement: Understood Master. I shall contact the Jedi and have them meet us in Nar Shaddaa as per your request." After making his final statement, the droid left to the cockpit and prepared to send a long range communication.

**Ok, so chapter** **1 is online now! **

**Just in case you haven't figured it out, the imposter in the tomb was Sokka. Oh, and for any KOTOR fans, the HK droid on his ship isn't HK-47 from the game. He's a different number model, HK-45.**

This is one of my first actuall fan fics so be honest in your critiques please. I''ve had some serious english teachers before, so negative critiques won't bother me too much, as long as they're constructive that is : )

Oh, I labeled a mature warning just to be safe. I know their isn't much violence or gore yet, but I'd rather not risk it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, Star wars, or any of their characters and locals. 


	3. Chapter 2: Arrangements

Prologue:

Riddles and Reasons

Chapter 2:

Arrangements

_One Month Later_

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It was a cool and quiet night at the newly formed Jedi Enclave an Alderaan, a perfect time for the five Masters to discuss certain arrangements in secret and without being disturbed. The room in which they met was circular and had several comfortable chairs set up in a circle, so as to permit them to have a clear line of sight towards one another and their audience. Its architecture was simple, but elegant, customary to the Jedi mindset.

The five Jedi Masters had been discussing the request that came in from a mercenary that had once aided them in infiltrating a deadly Sith faction in the Outer Rim Territories. On that occasion he had proved an invaluable ally, although the price for the mission's success was heavy. They knew that although the matter at hand seemed trivial, compared to the ever looming threat of the Sith, that it nonetheless deserved the utmost importance.

"I don't approve," stated the seasoned Jedi Master in the blue robes. He had a long, grey beard and long, grey hair to match. His skin was slightly dark and his faced was creased by what seemed like years of hard living. "He can't be trusted, not after what happened the last time we worked with him."

"The decision has already been made Master Pakku. The Council decreed that this was too important to pass up. All that is left for us to decide is who to send, and I think we all know who that will be," responded the Jedi Master across from Pakku. His robes were reddish, brown and he himself seemed about as old as Master Pakku. However, this Jedi was had a more built physique, was slightly bald, and his face betrayed no signs of hard living like his friend. "Besides, I think that you are letting your emotions cloud your judgment my old friend." He continued to speak as he stroked his short beard.

"And just what are you implying Master Iroh?" Responded Maste Pakku, his voice slightly raised but still calm.

"He means that you are letting the loss of your former Padawan influence your trust in this man." This time it was another Master, an elderly lady whose age matched the other Masters in the room. She wore deep eyeliner and had her hair pulled back in a slight bun. Her robes were a light brown and more traditional to Jedi wear.

"Master Wu," replied Master Pakku, "although I cannot deny that her death has left me with reservations about him, I assure you that I am taking a purely rational viewpoint. For one thing we never confirmed how he managed to kill the head of the _Scarlet Dagger_ and escape from their fortress alive while she did not. If those challenges proved too much for a fully fledged Jedi Knight such as my former Padawan, then how did he succeed? Moreover, are we to believe that he single handedly infiltrated the Sith ruins on Korriban, made a fool of Ozai's apprentice and once again escaped with his life? When it comes right down to it we know little of the man's past except that he served under Revan during the Mandalorian Wars. There are too many uncertainties surrounding him to entrust the lives of any more Jedi."

"Yep you're right old man, and that's exactly why we should send them!" said the fourth Jedi Master as he cocked his head in a strange angle while smiling. Unlike the other Masters, he was definitely much later in his years. He had little hair, save for the two white bushes on either side of his head, and his ears. His eyes, wide and maniacal, coupled with a half toothless grin gave him the impression of a man who was a stars short of a full system.

Master Pakku turned to the older Jedi with a half annoyed half confused look in his face and asked, "Would you care to elaborate Master Bumi?"

"Certainly my older friend!"

"I beg your pardon Master Bumi, but I'm some decades younger than you if you remember correctly." Master Pakku's tone conveyed a hint of irritation although his face was as stern as ever.

"Ha ha ha! My apologies Master Pakku, but I just forget you're actually younger than me on account of the fact that you actually act your age!" Master Bumi was clearly enjoying himself. "You see, it is because there is so much uncertainty about this man that we must send them. It's the perfect chance to get some clues about what really happened in the _Scarlet Dagger_ fortress, and more importantly, clues as to who this man really is. This individual is an enigma to even the Jedi Council on Coruscant and the Republic has no records on him except for his military career under Revan, which I must say is quite impressive for a non-Force user. Somehow, I get the feeling that he is a catalyst for something much larger than himself. I suspect that this is the very reason for which the Council approved us meeting him in the first place."

"A wise observation Master Bumi, I suspected as much myself," replied Iroh.

"Yes." Spoke Master Wu. "And besides, I'm sure you've all felt the disturbance in the Force as well. I do not believe it is coincidence that this feeling of impending danger synchronizes with this mercenary's reappearance."

At this Master Pakku closed his eyes and sighed in a show of agreement. "Yes I fear you are right Master Wu." He reopened his eyes and said, "The power void left behind by Revan and Malak has almost been filled as well. There are only a few factions left in strife, and that will not last long. I can only hope that my worries are unfounded and that this mercenary is not another threat that we must contend with."

"Have you anything to add Master Piandao? You've been unusually quiet tonight." Master Iroh's gaze was now fixed on the fifth Master in the Council Chamber. Soon all the other Master's also turned to see if Piandao had anything to include.

Master Piandao, who also seemed to be as old as Iroh gave a short laugh in response to Iroh's question. "Oh come on Master Iroh, you know me well enough to know that if I don't talk it's because there's nothing left to say." Piandao's Robes were dark brown and traditional, like Master Wu's. His hair was unusually dark for a man of his age, with a few grey streaks, and pulled back in a high ponytail that matched his goatee well.

"Yes I do old friend, but I also know when you're too deep in thought to make any contributions to a discussion," chuckled Master Iroh.

"Shrewd as ever Iroh," Master Piandao responded. He suddenly stopped smiling and his expression became serious. "In truth, like you, I also believe that there is more to this mercenary than meets the eye, and that is what bothers me the most. We all know there is no such thing as luck, only the Force, and this non-force user tends to have the Force looking out for him to an unprecedented degree. I fear that he may have more of Revan's influence in him than we can imagine. That is why I also believe he must be brought here, to unravel that mystery and ensure he is not threat to himself or others."

"Then it is agreed," spoke Master Iroh. "We shall send our four most capable Jedi Knights to meet with the mercenary. Let us trust in them, and in the Force, to light a path in this time of uncertainty."

With that all five Masters nodded in agreement, arose from their seats, and left the meeting room.

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_The Next Morning_

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_Oh man, I'm late again!_ Thought the young Jedi Knight who was quickly making his was across the Jedi Enclave on Alderaan with impressive speed, even for a Jedi. He was completely bald, about 18 years old, and had a slim, but extremely agile, physique. Also, he had Arrowed tattoos on his head and most of his body, a mark of his home planet that was now devastated thanks to Mandalorians.

_On the bright side, at least they can't make me clean out the Kinrath caves again…I hope._ His thoughts nearly made him run into a fellow Jedi who was leading a group of younglings out into the courtyard for daily meditation. Luckily for the both of them, the young Jedi was exceptionally nimble and easily leaped over the group without even breaking his stride. _Whew! I really need to be more careful._ BAM!!

"Owww," was all he could say as he rubbed his forehead. He had run into something when he had glanced back at the group he had just narrowly dodged.

"You could say that again," replied an equally groggy voice.

The young Jedi opened his eyes and saw that he hadn't run into something, but someone!

A young woman in blue Jedi robes got up from the floor holding her own head, although in a less than graceful manner. She was at least 20 years old with slightly dark skin, sparkling blue eyes, and long, black hair that reached her shoulders with two looped bangs in her front.

"Katara!! I'm so sorry!! I was trying to get to the Council Chambers, and well I was running late and uhm…"

"And you thought you'd show off your speed for the younglings and make up for lost ground." She smiled warmly at him while still holding her head.

"Well, uhm, yeah that's about it, heh, heh, heh." He tried to play it casual, but her smile made it impossible for him to hide his blush.

"In that case we better get going Aang. We don't want to keep the council waiting now do we?"

"They called you too?!"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" She crossed her arms and her expression became heated.

"Nothing! I was just surprised that they didn't mention it in the message I got this morning." Aang waved his hands in front of himself frantically as if trying to shoo away his last comment.

"Well maybe that's because we're a team silly." She replied with a smile as she brought her arms down to her hips. "They probably thought it was implied."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry about that." In fact, the two had been best friends and comrades since Katara first arrived at the enclave on Dantooine when she was 6 years old. Back when there was still an Enclave on Dantooine that is.

"Don't worry about it, but we better hurry up. The Council shouldn't be kept waiting."

"Right."

With that both friends made their way to the Council Chambers and entered. The five Council members were already seated and waiting for the pair when they finally arrived.

"You're late as usual I see." Said Master Pakku as the two entered.

"Sorry Master Pakku," Katara said bowing respectfully before her former master. Aang followed her lead and also bowed.

"Don't worry about it," spoke Master Iroh chuckling, "in fact I'd be more worried if you were here on time. Now that'd be a truly ominous sign."

Master Pakku faced his fellow Master. "Master Iroh, do not encourage them. Besides now is not the time for idle chatter."

With this Iroh's face suddenly turned serious. "Yes you are right,' Master Iroh looked up once again at the duo, "we have important matters to discuss."

Aang's face mirrored Iroh's and also became stern. "What do you require of us?"

"There is an urgent matter that requires our attention." This time it was Master Piandao that spoke. "About a month ago we received word from a former ally of ours."

"Former?" Aang couldn't help but dark interrupt. It was a bad habit of his to forget proper manners at times, although he wasn't as bad as some other Jedi he could name. Luckily for him though Master Piandao was not one to hold formalities against him.

"Yes. I'm afraid our last venture with him didn't go well for either side. We lost touch with him after that for nearly two years, but now he's made contact with us once again. He wants to meet with us on Nar Shaddaa."

This time it was Katara who inquired further. "What does he want from the Jedi after so long? Has he discovered something?"

"Yes, he has," Iroh answered. "I believe you two have heard the rumors of the lone intruder who infiltrated the Sith ruins on Korriban and made a fool Azula have you not?"

"That was him!" both and Aang and Katara nearly yelled in unison. Only one person had ever infiltrated the Sith Academy in Korriban and made it to the ruins before, and that was Revan. The thought that of anyone else achieving such a feat, even if it were a Jedi, seemed almost ludicrous. This seemed even more absurd because it was the Dark Lord Ozai's apprentice and daughter that had him cornered.

"Yes it was." Responded Master Paku, "And he is also the one who was with Yue when the _Scarlet Dagger _was brought down."

Katara's eyes suddenly changed from a look of surprise to a more somber one. _So, it was him._

"Master Pakku, now is not the time." Iroh said as he suddenly shifted his gaze towards his fellow Master. He then turned his attention to Aang and Katara once again. "But yes, he was the one who was with Yue when she fell. More importantly, however, is the fact that he didn't leave Korriban empty handed, he found something."

"And that something has caused serious commotion among the Sith ranks. So much in fact, that we've received word from our sources that they've contacted several of the galaxies top bounty hunters to capture him." Master Piandao interjected. "The fact that the Sith were exceptionally selective in the bounty hunters they choose tells us they want him alive, and whatever he knows or has kept secret."

"What did he find?" Aang asked.

Master Wu spoke up to answer. "He didn't say, but we can conjecture that it has something to do with Revan."

"Revan!? But he disappeared years ago!" Aang was once again shocked at the information the Council kept unveiling. Clearly, this would be no simple mission.

"Yes." Master Piandao continued. "And that is why it's so imperative we reach him first."

"What do we know about him? Can he be trusted?" Katara asked while her face was stern.

"Very little, since all we have are military records from when he served under Revan." Aunt Wu carried on, but raised her hand to silence the two when she sensed they had more questions. "Please, if the interruptions continue, then we'll never finish."

Both Aang and Katara held back their questions for the time being, although with much strength of will.

"As I was saying, we only know that he served in the later part of the Mandalorian War directly under Revan as a scout, soldier, and tactician. Before the war we know virtually nothing about him. From what we can deduce, it would seem that Revan found him on his way to the front lines when he first entered the war, but we cannot verify for where for sure. Another thing we know is that he stayed with Revan up until Revan disappeared into the outskirts of Republic space. We don't know why he broke with Revan, but it saved him from falling into darkness like all the others who had followed him."

_Maybe, or maybe not._ Katara thought angrily.

"After that he became a free lance mercenary. This is all we know about him." Master Wu finished.

"Okay. So all we have to do is find him and then find out what he learned in the ruins, right?" Aang conjectured.

"No. We are hoping to get more than information concerning Revan out of this, young Knights." Master Pakku had resumed his share in the conversation. "We want you to find out all you can about this man. Who he was, his true connection to Revan, what happened at the _Scarlet Dagger_ fortress, and how he managed to escape Korriban. We want you to find out everything you can about this man."

Aang was puzzled, but his face did not betray this feeling to the masters. "Is he really that important?

"There has been a shift in the Force, and it's no coincidence that it coincides with this mercenary's return, because as you both know, there are no coincidences in the Force." Master Wu spoke. "The Force acts through him in a very curious way. He is a catalyst to something bigger, we are sure if it, even if he is not."

Master Piando added more to Master Wu's advice. "We have prepared a shuttle to take you to the newly constructed Telos Space Station. From there you will have to pose as refugees and use a public transport to take you to Nar Shaddaa." Suddenly Master Piandao's face became even more serious. "Remember, the war is over, but many still harbor ill will towards the Jedi. Moreover, Nar Shaddaa is a congregation point for bounty hunters, and we've suddenly become some of the most valued targets in the galaxy. Keep your guard up at all times."

"We understand Masters." Katara replied with a respectful bow once more. Aang also bowed. "Is there anything else that you would have us know?"

"Just know this," Iroh continued, "he is not one to be taken lightly, and he will suspect that there is more to our aid than just curiosity. However, for him to have contacted us also means that whatever his goal may be, it is something he cannot achieve on his own. Use that truth to your advantage if you must."

"Very well Master Iroh." Katara once again responded, and then she and Aang began to take there leave of the Council Chambers.

"Oh, and one more thing." both the Knights looked back at Master Iroh. "We have sent for further aid on your mission as a precaution."

"Who else is coming?" Aang asked.

"Some former comrades of yours, I'm sure you remember my nephew Zuko. When I told him he said he couldn't wait for the opportunity to prove himself to you two." Iroh laughed quite loudly at his own remark. Aang and Katara, however, exchanged some odd glances at each other. They remembered all to well how at one point he was the Sith appointed by his father Ozai to hunt them both down.

"Greeeaaat." Aang said trying his best to force a smile, "nothing like having a former Sith Assassin around to watch your back."

"You better believe it. He knows the Sith well enough to know their tactics and avoid their traps. Plus, he's become quite an impressive Jedi Sentinel like yourself Aang, if I do say so myself." Iroh looked rather pleased with himself when he said this; he had been Zuko's new Master after all.

"Is there anyone else?" Katara inquired.

"Just my old Padawan, Toph, I'm sure you won't mind." Now it was Master Bumi who finally spoke up in a far more cheerful manner than any of the other Masters thus far. "She was already in a nearby system, so she'll reach Nar Shaddaa a day earlier than you and scout out the situation. Zuko will arrive on the same day as you of course."

"Great!" Aang replied once more, but this time with an honest smile on his face. Both he and Katara were already good friends with Toph, and she was one of the most skilled Jedi Guardians the Order had.

"Well then, you better get going. Time's a wasting and you never know how much of that you have left."

With that Master Bumi and the other Council members finally bid the two a farewell as they started on their journey towards Nar Shaddaa.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Do you think it was wise for us to send Katara on this mission?" Master Wu asked the others. "She and Yue were like sisters and I fear her feelings will influence her judgment when she meets the man who survived her."

"I'll admit that Katara's emotions are a in a state of discord because of this man's part in Yue's death, but do not forget, she earned the title of Jedi Knight and we must trust in her." Master Pakku said defending his former student.

"There is no need to worry." Iroh interjected. "She has Aang, and the powerful bond they share will ensure her composure in this mission."

"For the galaxy's sake Master Iroh, I hope you are right." Master Wu replied.

**Well know the Gaang's about to finally get together, but not too soon. There's still a few filler chapter before their reunion. Also, just a heads up, Katara doesn't know Sokka is her brother and she thinks he's responsible for Yue's. The next few chapters will shed a lot of light on why, but as for the side story with Sokka and Yue, well, that's going to be a bit longer . So please be patient.**

**Just in case you're not Familiar with Knights of the Old Republic, (Technically these shouldn't be spoilers because the games been out for like 5 years or so) Revan is was Jedi Knight who turned the tide in the war against the Mandalorian invaders prior to the story of the game. He did this against the orders of the Jedi Council and brought along a lot of Jedi with him, but he went bad and became a Dark Lord after the war with the Mandalorians ended. Suffice to say he later turned back to the light and redeemed himself (that depends on how you play the game and the choices you make though), however, the story is much more complex than that.**

**Anyhow, he's going to be a big part of the story so expect him to be mentioned a lot. Just giving you guys another heads up LOL**

**Any reviews, comments, and tips are welcome as always : )**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or Star Wars, I just right about them for fun LOL**


	4. Chapter 3: Encounter

Riddles and Reasons

Riddles and Reasons  
Chapter 3:  
Encounter

"So what's your name?" asked the young, slightly dark skinned boy holding out a hand to the small girl. She was small even for an nine year old, and couldn't seem more out of place in the Lower City. With the exception of her pale skin that was not uncommon for those who lived in the lower levels of Taris, everything else about her screamed nobility. She wore flowing white robes with elegant flower designs. Her raven, black hair was neatly held by a gold ribbon into a bun, and she had twin bangs that hung in front of her face. The most notable feature about her, however, was her soft, green eyes. The girl was blind.  
"It's Toph." She replied in a soft yet still firm tone of voice. "And I didn't need your help thank you very much." The girl tried to stand on her own, but she lost balance on her twisted ankle, crying out, and started to fall. Luckily the young boy caught her in his arms. This made her blush slightly, something he missed trying to steady her. _He has a strange scent, sort of like rain, but at the same time it's also a bit cool like ice,_ she thought.  
"Looks to me like you did, and still do, especially since you're…"  
Suddenly the girl's face became irritated and her eyes narrowed. "BLIND?! Is that what you think, that I'm some helpless little girl who can't take care of herself?! Well I have some news for you, I CAN! If I couldn't take care of myself do you think I'd be down here all alone?!"  
The girl's attitude and sharp tongue caught the boy completely off guard and nearly made him drop her from shock. He couldn't believe such sweet looking girl could pack such a harsh sting.  
"Hey watch it ponytail!"  
"Uh, sorry, but that's not what I was going to say. I was actually going to say that you're ankle was twisted and…HEY!! How'd you know I have a ponytail?"  
This time Toph tried her best to look him in the face, although she only managed to bring her eyes to his chin. "I may be blind, but I'm not clueless dummy."  
"Ah, so you see through the Force right? I've heard of that, it's called Force Sight or something like that, so you're a Miraluka then?"  
It was now the Toph's turn to be surprised. Her eyes widened with something other than anger. "How do you know about that? And what's a Miraluka anyways?"  
The young boy raised his left eyebrow in a bit of confused surprise. "So you're not a Miraluka, but you do see through the Force?"  
"Yeah I do, and you still haven't answered my questions."  
"Oh, sorry." Just then he realized that he was still holding her. His ears grew hot and he quickly led her further out the alley they were in to a corner of a building where its base made a suitable seat for Toph. "Well, my dad used to tell me a lot of stuff about the galaxy before he…before he set off to fight the Mandalorians." His voice grew shaky if only for second, but it was enough for Toph to catch. She decided to let him continue before she asked him about it though. "He told me about a planet where all the people were blind, but that it was okay because they could see things in a very special way. They could see the life in all things around them, sort of like echoes and vibrations in the Force is what he said." His mouth suddenly formed into a small grin. "And as for the Force, well, can't you tell? Its something we have in common."  
For the first time since they met, the young girl actually let a smile form on her face. "I thought you felt a little funny. And your dad sounds like he's a smart guy." She suddenly felt the boy's heart rate spike for a bit when she mentioned his dad. "Is your dad still fighting in the war?"  
"…Yes, but I've been getting less and less messages for him now that he's so far out." The boy's head dropped slightly.  
Despite being only to make out faint outlines and certain physical traits of people through the Force, the girl could tell talking about his father make him uncomfortable. She decided to change the subject. "Uhm, thanks for the help with those guys back there." She turned to the side so he wouldn't see the embarrassed look on her face.  
"Oh it was nothing." He said as he put his left hand to the back of his head and smiled. "I just though I should get them out of here before you really hurt them." They both laughed at this. "That was really cool. The way you sent those two flying into the wall was awesome. I can barely lift one of my friends for a few seconds, but you're really something else."  
A self gratifying grin formed on her face. "Well, I do use the Force more than you after all. It's not as easy as it seems to have to focus all the time to see where you're going, but it pays off as you just saw."  
"Yeah, if those Vulkars hadn't ganged up on you four to one you would've probably sent them screaming like little girls." They both laughed again.  
"You know, you weren't so bad yourself. It was pretty smart how you used their own swoop bikes to chase them off and then have them run after them."  
"Well, I do have my moments." He crossed his arms and made a very arrogant expression on his face. The boys face suddenly lit up. "Hey could you teach me how to do that too. It'd be awesome to be able to see things the way you do."  
Toph smiled and two pink spots formed on her snowy cheeks. "You really think it'd be cool to see the way I do?"  
"Of course, it'd be the best thing ever."  
"Well okay then, but I'll warn you I'm a very strict teacher." She pouted her lips as she brought her hands to her hips.  
The boy couldn't hold in his laughter. Toph's voice and appearance didn't in anyway match her maturity and courage. Still, he thought this made her all the more fun to be with. "Well, we better get going. Those guys are dumb, but they'll eventually find they're way back here with friends."  
"Yeah, no sense in making fools of them twice in one day." She responded to him with another of her mischievous smiles.  
"I know just the place, the orphanage I stay at down here. It's not too pretty, but its warm and I'm sure my friends would love to meet you too."  
"Sounds fun, lets go!" She tired to stand, but forgot about her ankle and he had to catch her again.  
"How's about I give you a piggyback ride back to the orphanage? I think it'll be easier that way." Right then the boy was lucky Toph couldn't see him clearly enough to know he was blushing slightly.  
Toph looked down to hide her own blush. "Uh, yeah, whatever."  
"Oh, just one more thing." He asked her as he helped her onto his back and she wrapped her arms around his neck for support. "What exactly were you doing down here anyways? You weren't running away from home were you? Cause if you were there are a lot of better places than down here, trust me on that."  
"Well, I sort of was. I just had to get away from my parents, they're just so, so pigheaded. They don't want me to try anything by myself or even leave the house." Her expression grew sad. "Its like they're ashamed of me for being blind. They just don't get me."  
"That sucks." The boy commented as he carried her out of the alley and through the streets of the Lower City. "But I'm kind of glad they are 'pigheaded,' otherwise I wouldn't have made a new friend today."  
Once again Toph smiled as she blushed. Then suddenly she realized something. "Oh, I never got to ask you, but, what's your name?" She felt him turn his head slightly to try and look at her while he answered.  
"It's Sokka."

Toph stirred in her sleep and finally awoke to the sound of the captain informing the passengers on his ship that they had just arrived at their destination. "All passengers, we've just arrived on Nar Shaddaa. Please make your way out of ship through the boarding ramps. Watch your step and your backs folks, good luck."  
_Well that was a pleasant wake up call_. She was resting against a plasteel container with her arms crossed and her conical hat covering her eyes. Slowly she stretched and got up while she yawned and scratched her behind in a less than ladylike fashion. _Damn captain! Couldn't he have waited a little bit longer before he opened his big mouth through that mike! I was having good dream too!_ She thought this to herself as she made her way off the refugee ship with her knapsack and a grumpy look on her face.  
Besides her conical hat, Toph also wore a long brown cloak that concealed most of her body. Under that she had on a sleeveless, brownish yellow vest that wasn't too different from the casual Jedi robe. Underneath it she had on a green tank top that was only slightly visible under her vest. She also had some slightly baggy, green and yellow pants on, for max flexibility in combat, and some thin light footwear that were little more than wrappings. Toph was never one for tradition and regulations, even the Jedi's, so these were her normal garbs. Under her hat her hair was still arranged in the bun she had since child hood, the only difference now was that she had more bangs of hair coming down over her face.  
Good dreams were few and far between for her. Even though the war against the Sith had ended these were still dark times and they didn't leave much opportunity for peaceful dreams, particularly for Jedi such as herself. It was nice to remember simpler times, like when she made her first real friend back home on Taris. She remembered him well even though she hadn't seen him for over nine years, since the day she joined the Jedi Order at age nine. Sometimes she would worry about him because she wasn't sure if he had made it off of Taris before Malak destroyed it. Toph had made peace with the death of her parents, and that was hard enough for her. To know that he had also died, however, would be far too cruel.  
_Nah, he was too clever to get caught on Taris. Besides he was probably long gone by the time the Sith got there, he always said he was going to go off world and see the rest of the galaxy._  
Unawares to her, from the moment she stepped off the refugee ship she had been targeted. Fortunately for her those that were coming after her only took her at face value, a young girl whose beauty would fetch them a high price in the galactic slave market. Too bad for them, they couldn't of made a worse choice.  
Normally Toph's keen senses and Force affinity would have spotted the eight men following her, but her thoughts of the past were distracting her and the crowds of people didn't help either. In fact she failed to notice them until they were dangerously close.  
_Hmm, this should be fun._ She suddenly moved out of the crowded Nar Shaddaa walkways and moved into an empty alley. They followed her in.  
"So what's a pretty young thing like you doing all alone on Nar Shaddaa?" One of the eight said overconfidently as he approached her, probably the leader of the group. His slight hiss and clicking toe claws gave him away as a Trandoshan. The laughter of his friends also revealed them to be Trandoshans. They slowly surrounded her.  
Toph decided to have some fun and play the part of the helpless damsel. It would, after all, make their beating all the more enjoyable for her. "I…I don't want any trouble." She said in a soft, girlish voice that was completely made up. "Please don't hurt me," continued Toph as she tried her best to suppress a smile underneath bangs.  
"Oh there's no need to worry." The leader of the group replied. "No sense in damaging the goods. Isn't that right boys?" He laughed coldly.  
All of a sudden two of the eight came up and grabbed Toph's arms from behind. Toph was ready for them though. As soon as they grabbed her she elbowed them both in the chest and in a swift fluent movement brought her closed fists up into their faces, hitting them hard. Then she grabbed them by their chest garments and sent the flying into two more of the group in front of her.  
This quickly wiped the grins off the thug's faces. Now they were alert and even a bit frightened, everyone except their leader that is. "Don't just stand there gaping you fools! Take her!" The three Trandoshans who weren't on the floor drew shock sticks to try and paralyze her, but she was too good for them. One of them charged at her directly, but she merely blocked his thrust arm with her own left arm, sidestepped him, and brought him down with a well placed blow to his right kidney. The other two were a bit smarter and double teamed her. This time around she took the offensive and charged them before they could prepare their own attack. In one quick move she rammed a fist into each of their chests, and with added power from the Force, sent flying a good 12ft before they hit he alley floor.  
"So you want some of this too, big mouth?" Toph challenged the leader of the group.  
"Hmm, I was hoping for a simple score tonight. Slaves have been getting a bit harder to come by after all. But, I suppose I could vent some steam." The Trandoshan dropped the dark brown coat he had on to reveal a streamlined, red and black armor adorned with a black sun outlined in red. He pulled out two curved daggers from the sheaths he had on his back and dropped into a low battle position with both his arms extended wide and one of his legs bent while the other was extended behind him.  
Even though the armor's sleek design was wasted on Toph, she could tell that it was durable enough to make it difficult for her to actually harm him without revealing she was a Jedi. More than the armor, however, was his stance and cool demeanor. She could tell he was a seasoned fighter.  
The Trandoshan made the first move and made a quick lunge for Toph in a cross slash. She countered by jumping to the side, just out of range of his wide slash, and then she came up behind him. He was ready for this and dropped on down on all fours and sent a double kick her way while using his arms to launch himself and add force to the kick. Toph was caught off guard, but her quick reflexes got her to bring her arms up and stop the kick from reaching her chest. The force of the blow still knocked her back and nearly broke her stance, but it she wouldn't relent so easy. Seeing an opportunity the Trandoshan once again took the offensive and quickly came back to his feet and launched himself at Toph once again. This time around she was better prepared for the attack and moved to intercept it. She caught both his arms before he could unleash his cross slash, fell backwards still holding him, and along with a well placed kick, used his own momentum to throw him over herself. He wasn't expecting this and he lost his footing upon his landing. Now Toph was on the offensive and charged him with punch after punch. Unfortunately for him, the Trandoshan was completely helpless and could barely dodge her, let alone counter-attack. Finally Toph connected her right fist into his chest and she left an impressive dent in the alloy that protected it. The punch was a huge shock to his system and it made him drop his daggers as he fell back onto his knees.  
"So, still think you can damage the 'goods' lizard face?" Toph was standing over him with her arms on her hips.  
"Grrr..." Knowing he had been bested by a teenage girl infuriated him, and he wasn't about to let her get away with humiliating him. "It's not over yet girl." His face suddenly changed from a grimace to an evil smile.  
Although Toph was blind, she could feel the change in both his tone of voice and his morale. Just then she heard the unmistakable sound of blasters being unsheathed from their holsters. Four of the seven Trandoshans she had just fought were back on their feet with blasters drawn. _Damn! I got careless! Guess I'm going to have to blow my cover a bit early then._ She immediately fell into her battle stance once again and slowly began reaching for something in the back of her belt.  
The leader of the group also drew his blaster and aimed it right at Toph as well. "I had hoped to make a profit off you, but I guess I'll have to settle for a target dummy." His voice was harsh and full of vengeance.  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you Trax."  
All the thugs, including their leader Trax, flinched at the sound of the voice. They all looked out to the end of the alley that they had entered from mere minutes ago. At the mouth of the alley stood a handsome looking young man of about 21 looking back at all of them. He was wearing a black long sleeved coat that came down to his ankles and had a sheathed sword hanging over his left shoulder. Additionally, he also wore black boots and his semi-long, dark brown hair came down over the sides and back of his head just a little bit under his ears. Perhaps his most distinctive feature was his piercing blue eyes that seemed to have paralyzed the thugs.  
All these striking features, however, were wasted on Toph who could only see what was beyond the superficial. What she did notice about him was that his aura was the most unusual she had ever felt on anyone, or anything for that matter. It was warm, which meant that he had a stronger affinity to the light side, but at the same time it also seemed partial and incomplete. _Who is this guy? The Force surrounding him is so subtle he can't be a Force sensitive, but it's more like it has been repressed or something. It isn't natural!_  
"Stay out of this Wolf! This doesn't concern you!" Trax had finally recovered his voice and stood back up. Now he seemed a bit more on edge though.  
Toph noticed this and immediately understood that this so called "Wolf" was someone to be reckoned with. _Well, at least he's on my side for the now. Maybe I won't have to break loose after all._ She slowly began to move her hands forward from the back of her belt, not bringing out whatever she had reached for in the first place.  
"Doesn't concern me?" The man named Wolf began to leisurely walking forward as if it was the most natural thing for him to head into a deadly fray. He stooped a few feet from Trax, never once removing his eyes from Trax's. "If I remember correctly, I had an arrangement with the Red Eclipse. What was it now?" He began to fake being in deep thought. "Oh yes, now I remember! No refugees are to be taken as slaves by the Red Eclipse from either the Refugee Sector or the docks so long as I continue to bring in the merchandise. Isn't that about right Trax?"  
"Hmph! Yeah that was the deal, but we're not on the docks or the Refugee Sector are we?"  
Trax may have tried to put on a tough act, but Toph could tell from his heartbeat that he wasn't anywhere as confident as he seemed.  
Wolf chuckled a bit. "Well, that may be true, but it also counts if you chase them out of the docks. And isn't that exactly what you did to this young lady?" He pointed towards Toph.  
Toph crossed her arms in agitation. _He thinks they chased me here! What a cocky bastard! If I wasn't undercover I'd show him as well as these lizards just who it is they're dealing with!  
_"That's beside the point!" Trax was obviously angry now. "She just made a mockery of me and my men and I don't mean to let her have her laughs without letting her now what happens when you mess the Red Ecli…" The Trandoshan never got to finish his sentence.  
Faster than either Trax or any of his thugs had seen Wolf drew his sword and in one swift movement brought it down on Trax's neck and then quickly back into its sheath. Trax wasn't dead, but he was bleeding. Had the cut been any deeper it would have certainly of killed Trax right there and then.  
"Let me make this clear." Wolf's tone had gone from light and easy going to strict and angry, something that was matched by his eyes that were now fixed on Trax's. "You violated the deal that your bosses made with me, so that means you're no longer under their protection and won't be avenged if I decide to end you right here and now. You can continue to harass this girl if you like, but you'll die if you do." He suddenly let his tone become light once again and he smiled. "So what's it going to be Trax? Are you going to die a meaningless death in an alley like some common thug, or are you going to be smart and take what pride you have left and leave."  
Trax contemplated this for a moment as he held his hand to his fresh wound. "Tsh, have it your way. But don't think for a second that this ends here Wolf! Next time neither of you will be so lucky!" With that said, Trax and his thugs carried out their wounded and left the two alone.  
_Just who is this guy?_ Wondered Toph as she collected her pack.  
The young man called Wolf looked back at her with a smile on his face. "Sorry for the dramatics, but it looked like you could have used some help." He held out his hand to her. "By the way, you can call me Wolf, everyone else already does. What's your name Ms.?"  
Toph was already furious enough from the man's arrogant manner, but to call her Ms.! That was crossing the line! She brought her arms to her sides, marched right up to his face and laid it all down for him. "Listen here bub, I didn't ask for your help and I didn't need it! So don't go treating me like some damsel in distress! I can take care of myself thank you very much!" After she made her feelings clear she walked around him and started walking back out of the alley.  
Wolf merely crossed his arms as she walked around him. He was a bit surprised at how fierce this seemingly frail girl could be with her words as well as her fists, but he didn't break his smile. "Sorry, I meant no offense Ms., but I just figured you'd like to keep your lightsabers and your identity kept secret."  
This stopped Toph cold in her tracks and turned to face him. She had a perplexed look on her face. "How did…?"  
"How did I know you were a Jedi?" Wolf finished for her. "Well, you pick up a few things traveling the galaxy. For starters," he pointed at her legs forgetting the gesture was wasted on her, "your fighting stance is a bit wide. I've seen it used by Jedi wielding dual light sabers. Of course, your upper body stance is rather unusual." He quickly corrected himself when he sensed she might take offense to his comment. "Uh, I mean to say that it's unique, but not too different from other stances I've seen used. I'm guessing you modified an original form."  
Toph's expression softened a bit. "Well yes, actually I did, but that's beside the point. Even if you did recognize my stance that alone wouldn't have been enough for you to know I was a Jedi."  
"You're right, it wasn't, but after I saw that punch you laid on Trax I knew there you were using the Force to add some extra power to your attacks." Wolf chuckled a bit. "Honestly, though, I'm surprised Trax didn't figure it out himself. Normally he's not as dumb as he looks. I guess you really shook him up."  
At this Toph couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I do have that impression on most guys." However, she quickly composed herself and became serious once again. 'Okay, now I know how you knew I was a Jedi, but I still want to know why you decided to help me keep my identity a secret." She let her pack fall to the floor and readied herself to fall back into her combat stance. "Are you after the bounty on Jedi? Is that it?"  
Wolf raised his hands in a form of surrender. "Whoa, whoa, take it easy. If that was the case I'd of let you tire yourself out sending Trax and his thugs to the infirmary, although I doubt it would've helped me much." He laughed.  
Toph wasn't ready to trust him just yet, but she relaxed herself a bit. "Then enlighten me on why then."  
He crossed his arms and responded in a casual tone. "Well, to be honest, I couldn't let Trax brake the contract. I have to maintain my street cred, its invaluable in my line of work. Also, let's just say I owe the Jedi a few. Besides I have a feeling you owing me a favor will come in handy in the near future."  
Toph's expression became sour again. "I don't owe you anything Mr.! And for that matter what is your line of work?" She pointed accusingly at him. "Are you some slaver or gang member!?"  
"Hey! I find that offensive!" Wolf's expression also became stern now. "I'm no slaver, and I never will be! And secondly, I'm no simpleton thug!" His expression softened a bit as he scratched his chin in reflection. "Although I do admit I don't always make an honest living."  
"Well then, just what are you?" Toph continued, her expression also relaxing a bit. She could tell by his heartbeat that he was being completely honest with her, maybe to a fault even.  
He looked right into her eyes, even though he knew she couldn't see him, he responded. "I'm a mercenary. I'm jack of all trades and freelance as whatever the job pays me to, bounty hunter, hired hand, spy, bodyguard, scout, and whatever else they client wants as long as it doesn't cross certain lines. Even I have my dignity and honor after all." He said this with a smug look on his face.  
Toph laughed extra loud to annoy him. _Dignity, honor? This guy is a real piece of work!  
_"Hey!"  
"Sorry, but the thought of a merc with dignity and honor, well it doesn't really fit the job description." Toph continued to laugh as she held her knees for support. "Did a noble ever hirer you to pose as his daughter's date by any chance?" She asked him rhetorically.  
The question made him blush slightly. "Well, there was this one time…but I was only doing it as part of my bodyguard duties!"  
His response made Toph use all her willpower to keep from falling over in laughter. _This guy is unbelievable! And here I thought he was some big time gang leader or Spice supplier!_  
Wolf tired his best to keep his cool, but this throbbing temple and red face made it obvious that she was working on his last nerve. Still, he kept his calm and didn't lash out at her in any way.  
"Wow, you really are something else!" Toph had finally calmed down enough to form coherent sentences.  
"Whatever. You know, I'm starting to regret helping you." His tone was, understandably, a bit annoyed.  
"Come one you have to admit it's hilarious! I mean here I thought you were some big shot gang member or something, and it turns out you're a hired date for the unattractive daughters of rich nobles."  
"I'll have you know she was actually really pretty." Suddenly Wolf's expression changed from an annoyed, angry look into a mischievous one. "Actually she was a whole lot prettier than you Ms. High and Mighty."  
This struck a nerve in Toph who suddenly stopped laughing and hotly blew some of her bangs out of her face. "And what's that supposed to mean? Actually forget that. It's not like I actually care if I look pretty or not!" She turned with her arms crossed, but Wolf could clearly see some pink spots forming on her cheeks.  
Now it was Wolf's turn to laugh loudly. "So you actually do have a soft, girly spot!"  
Toph was seriously angry now. "Forget this! I'm out of here!" She picked up her pack once more and started marching out of the alley again.  
"Hang on!" Wolf ran up to her before she got out and put a hand on her shoulder. This, however, was a bad move. Toph grabbed his wrist, twisted it, and flipped him over. Luckily, for him, he was no novice and landed on his feet while simultaneously catching her own wrist in his hand.  
His reflexes surprised Toph. _Hmph! Guess he's not such a pansy after all, but that won't help much._ With her free arm she went for the arm that was holding her own, but he anticipated this. Her grip may have been firm on his captured wrist, but he managed to find enough strength to catch her other hand with his own captured one. They were deadlocked now in an awkward arm pretzel hold.  
"Just here me out ok, no sense in either of us getting hurt." As Wolf said this, Toph tightened the grip on his hand, making him wince a little. "Ouch. Ok, well no sense in just me getting hurt then." He released his grip on her and she followed his actions and also let go.

"Listen, I know you don't trust, or probably even like me, but I think you could still use my help."  
"How do you figure that?" She responded while putting her hands to her hips.  
"Because from the looks of it, I'd say this was your first time on Nar Shaddaa, and I doubt I'd be the only one. The bottom line is that you don't know your way around and if you don't want to give away your identity too soon, I suggest you follow me." He began to walk back into the crowded streets.  
Toph was a little hesitant at first, but he had a point. She had never been to Nar Shaddaa before, and from what happened with Trax and his thugs it was pretty obvious she had already made some powerful enemies. In the end she decided to go along with Wolf and followed him out into the streets and caught up beside him. They might have only just met, but Toph felt something strangely familiar about him, something she felt she could trust.  
"Oh, by the way, my name's Toph."  
Her name struck Wolf like a sweet musical note. _Toph, why does that name sound familiar? Hmm, nah it's probably nothing._ Wolf looked at her while he continued walking and smiled. "Well then Toph, a pleasure to meet you." He stopped and extended his hand to her once again. She took it in her own hand and shook it.  
"The pleasure's all mine." She smiled back.

**Ok, so I have chapters 1-5 ready, but I just need to make corrections. Basically, I'll be getting them out fast, but only for a while I'm afraid. **

**As the title states, this chapter is all about encounters. Namely, Toph and Sokka's first encounter and her encounter with Wolf (aka Sokka). Now this is where it's going to get a bit confusing again because the Sokka Toph new and the person she just met aren't the same person. I don't want to ruin it, but some of you might figure it out. If you want to give it a guess you can try though. Eventually it'll become clear as the story progresses, and don't worry it'll be long before the end. Still, the finale will paint the complete picture.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or Star Wars.**


	5. Chapter 4: The Man called Wolf

Riddles and Reasons

Riddles and Reasons

Chapter 4:

The Man called Wolf

"So where are we going?" Toph asked the mercenary who called himself Wolf.

"The Refugee Sector." He responded without glancing at her. "Those Trandoshans you beat up were part of the Red Eclipse, an intergalactic slaver organization. Trax may have been going against our agreement when he came after you, but he's foolish enough to forgo formalities and try and kill you to regain what little pride he had to start with. The good news is that he can't touch you in the Refugee Sector since it's under close supervision by his higher ups, so it's the safest place for you right now."

Toph couldn't deny she was surprised, and even grateful, for Wolf's help, but she didn't like feeling like she needed protection. "Thanks for you concern, but I can handle myself. I've dealt with jerks like him before."

Wolf stopped and turned to face her. "I'm not saying you can't look after yourself, but Trax doesn't play fair and he'll be looking for the first chance he can get to take you out. With someone like him after you, you'll end up exposing yourself as a Jedi for sure. Then all hell will break loose." He pointed a cantina across the street from where they were. "Look in there, or well uh…" It suddenly struck Wolf that she was blind.

"I got it okay, don't freak out on me." Toph shifted her focus to the cantina she felt him point to. Inside there were a large number of individuals who all gave off a cold, red hue that represented an affinity to the darker side of the Force.

"As you can see this planet is not the most hospitable, especially for Jedi. Those are bounty hunters. Nar Shaddaa is a gathering point for them, and once word gets out there's a Jedi on this moon, well, it won't matter how good you are because even you can't take them all." He continued walking and she followed. "I have some friends in the Refugee Sector that can give you a place to stay, at least until you finished your mission."

Something suddenly occurred to Toph and she stopped. "Just hold on a second."

Wolf stopped and turned to face her. "Yeah, what is it?"

Toph did her best to try to meet her eyes with his. "What deal did you make with the Red Eclipse? I've trusted you so far, but in order for me to keep trusting you, you're going to have to come clean."

_Guess it can't be helped._ Wolf tried his best to keep his calm composure, but something about her eyes, even though he knew she was blind, struck him harder than the question itself. _Damn, this'd be a whole lot easier if she wasn't so cute and…WHOAH, WHOAH, WHOAH! Keep your head in the game man, although, there is something familiar about her._

Toph felt him fidget a bit and also felt a sudden spike in his heartbeat. Fortunately for Wolf, though, she wasn't particularly gifted in reading minds as other Jedi, only certain emotions. _Is it really that bad? Maybe I better just leave now before I get in too deep with this guy. WAIT, damn what am I thinking of!? "In too deep," this is starting to sound more like a bad date._

She blushed slightly and quickly turned to hide it. "If you don't want to tell me that's fine, but if it is that bad it might be better for both of us if I we don't stick together."

"No wait!" The sudden higher pitched voice that came out of Wolf surprised both of them, especially Wolf. "I mean its okay for you to know, and if you don't want to stay with me _bad choice of words idiot_ after you know, then I won't try to stop you. I also won't tip anyone off about you."

Toph turned in his direction again, her expression a bit anxious. "Well…ok, but be honest. I have a knack for being able to tell when people are lying."

Wolf quickly composed himself and answered her question. "About a year back I first came to Nar Shaddaa looking for a place to lay low and gather some supplies, there's no place better than here after all." He spread his arms to motion to the surrounding city. "Anyways, I came across the Refuge Sector here and found out that they were being picked off and sold into slavery by the Red Eclipse."

"And no one did anything to stop them?" Toph asked.

"Nar Shaddaa has no real authorities to keep the peace other than the Hutts, but they could care less about what happens here, so long as they get there cut too." Wolf paused a bit before he went on. His tone had gone lower as he continued talking. "Normally I wouldn't have helped them out, I'm not so noble. Usually I go by the philosophy that if you're not willing to take a stand for yourself then you don't deserve help."

Toph's eyes widened. "How could you say that?! _This doesn't make sense! How can he be so cold when he feels so warm and kind hearted?_ I didn't figure you for a cold heart!"

His own eyes averted hers for second before he spoke again. "Because I found out the hard way that you can't save them all and even if you could they'd just become dependent on you and wouldn't survive long after you left. In the long run, it'd be a greater crime to help people like that."

She didn't need to be told that he was speaking from a painful experience, his own tone of voice told her that much. "So why did you, I mean why are you helping the refugees here?"

"Because their lives weren't so different from my life not long ago," he looked up into the sky remembering his own past, "I guess it didn't feel right to leave them be. They're not cowards; I've seen them fight to protect each other like a family. It's just that they can't win against these odds, so I helped. I made a deal with the head of the Red Eclipse on this planet, I told him I'd bring him something that'd fetch a higher price on the market and wouldn't be nearly as costly or troublesome to take, spice. And not just the average spice, a new kind, the purest ever produced."

There was no hiding the look of shock on Toph's face. "You're bringing them spice?! Do you have any idea what that stuff does to people?!" She walked up to him and grabbed his coat from his chest, bringing him face level with her. "You may be helping these people, but you're screwing over about three times as many somewhere else!"

Wolf pulled her hand off his coat and stood up straight again. "I knew you wouldn't understand." He told her in a solemn voice. "You can't change the world from the outside looking in, that's one thing most of you Jedi never learned." He turned and began walking away from her. "And about those other people I'm screwing over, well at least they have the luxury of choosing to mess up their own lives, unlike the refugees who have that choice already made for them."

Toph wanted to yell something back at him, to scream to him how messed up his deal was, but her Jedi training stopped her from going on. _There is no emotion, there is peace_. She told herself in her mind. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that he was doing the best he could, the lesser of two evils. "Wait!" she called out to him as he left. "I-I'm sorry, I overreacted. I've seen what spice can do to people first hand, and I've never forgotten. They were so far out of touch with the living Force they felt like empty husks, and for someone whose vision is based on sensing and feeling the Force in others, i-it's a terrible thing to witness."

_Wait, why am I telling him this? It's something I've never told anyone, even Aang and Katara. What is it about this guy that makes me want to trust him?_

After he heard her say this Wolf stopped and released a heavy sigh and then looked at her. "No, you don't have to apologize. You're right; even if I don't want to admit it my actions are probably making others suffer just as much as the refugees even. Also, I didn't know how it affected you personally."

An awkward silence passed between the two for a good few minutes until Wolf finally broke it. "So, do you still want to stick with me knowing what it is I do?"

Toph appeared to be in deep thought before she finally answered. "Well, I'm not so sure anymore."

Even though he hid it well, Wolf felt slightly crushed by her answer.

"Unless," she continued with a smirk appearing on her face, "you throw in a free meal. A girl has to eat after all, and those ship rations were horrible."

"Hey, that was a cheap shot!" Despite himself, Wolf felt his unyielding look break into a smile, and soon he was even laughing. "But, I guess it's only fair."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

An hour later both of them were having the special at a restaurant that had actually been a converted Republic Mess Ship. It was rusty and falling apart, but the meal was undeniably tasty.

"So what are we eating again?" Toph asked Wolf.

"Actually, I'm not to sure myself. All I know is that it's meat, it's good, and that the chef hasn't had a complaint or customer sent to the emergency room, so no need to worry."

"Alright, if you say so Wolf, then I try not to worry as much." She took another bite of what looked like the roasted torso of a space lizard. Then a thought came to her. "So Wolf, what's your real name? I mean if you don't mind me asking."

The question clearly caught him off guard because he nearly choked on his meal. After he regained his poise he responded. "Well, I had a name, but I left it a long time ago when I first started my career as a Merc."

This had peaked Toph's interest. "Why'd you do that for, to protect your family?"

"If still had one then the answer would be yes, but that's not the case."

"I'm sorry." Toph responded feeling a bit of guilt. "I lost my family on Taris when Malak destroyed it a few years back, so I can relate."

"Then I'm sorry too for having reminded you."

"Don't be, I've made peace with their deaths already. Besides, I can't be a Jedi if I let my emotions get the better of me."

Wolf laughed at her remark. "Well, you could've fooled me. I thought for sure you would've flattened me by now considering how upset I made you." His face suddenly became worried. "Uhm, I'm probably going to get flattened now aren't I?"

She giggled at this. "Nah, I still need you to get me to the Refugee Sector like you said. After that, well, I'd start to worry." Her mischievous grin made him shiver a bit. "So why the fake name Wolf?"

"In this line of work you never know what kind of friends and enemies you'll make, so it's better to make up a new name in case you ever want to go back to your old life, or just get out of the business altogether."

"Planning to retire are we?"

"Nah, this life's been good to me, well mostly. I've had my bad and worse times, but I've also had some good ones. To be honest, I like the excitement and the chance to see the galaxy. Ever since I was small I've never stayed in one place for too long anyhow."

"Any particular reason?" Toph asked as she chewed down some more of her meal.

"My dad was a hunter and his job kept us moving from planet to planet, my mother, sister me that is."

"My bad, I didn't mean to bring up your family again."

"Don't worry about it. I've made peace with what happened to them a long time ago too." He continued with his meal as if it were the most natural thing to talk about dead loved ones. This worried Toph a bit.

_If he's this casual about talking about his dead family, then I wonder what else he's casual about._

As if reading her thoughts he responded to her mental inquiries. "You know," he looked down at his food, "to be perfectly honest, you're the first one I've ever talked to about my family. Granted few ever ask me about my past, but even if they did I'd doubt I'd ever tell them."

Toph looked at him, or at least where he thought he was, with a serene yet inquiring look on her face. "Then why tell me?"

Wolf just briefly closed his eyes and shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe it's because you Jedi are better at keeping secrets than most, or maybe it's because you personally seem like someone I can trust." He looked at her, and she could feel it. "I can't quite say why, but you seem vaguely familiar."

"Uhm, thanks, I guess." She quickly looked away to hide her slight blush.

"Oh, sorry." He looked away hiding his own blush. _Smart move idiot! Now she'll probably think your some kind of weirdo!_

"So what happened to them?"

"Huh?"

"Your family I mean."

"Oh, well it's a long story. My mom," he paused for a second, "she was killed by a Dark Jedi somewhere around 16 years ago. Some die hard from the war with Exar Kun and his Sith."

"What? Why would a Sith kill her?"

"Probably because she was a Jedi."

"You're mother was a Jedi?!" Toph was on the edge of her seat now.

"Hey, quiet down! You don't want anyone getting any funny ideas about us being Jedi or something do you?" He was looking around to make sure no one overheard, but no one seemed particularly interested.

"Sorry, it's just that this is a big deal. I mean, if your mother was a Jedi, then doesn't that mean you should be one too?"

"No not always. I had some marginal Force sensitivity, or at least that's what the Jedi who came for my sister said."

It took a moment for this all to sink in for Toph. "Okay, so let me get this straight. Your mother was a Jedi, but only your sister had her fair share of the Jedi gene pool."

"That's about right."

"So what happened to her?"

"What else, she got taken to go train at an Enclave to become a Jedi like my mom. She was about six years old, but since the Jedi numbers were thinned out during the war I guess their age restrictions went out the door for a bit."

"Yeah, they did the same for me, but I was a bit happier to leave than her I think."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

She looked up at him with a puzzled look on her face. "Your sister wanted to leave?"

"Yeah, she didn't say why, but we knew. My father and I, that is. She wanted her chance for revenge against the Sith, and what better way than becoming a Jedi herself."

"I can't believe they took her in knowing that."

"Like I said, Jedi numbers were thinned out from the war, so they needed all the help they could get. I suppose they thought they could get the whole revenge thing out of her system through her training. In the end it didn't matter, the bottom line was she was gone and we never heard from her again."

"So you don't know if she's still alive?"

He shook his head.

"Maybe I know her! I've met quite a few Jedi about your age, so there's a good chance I do know her."

"I don't care!" His voice turned cold and maybe even malicious. "The fact of the matter is that she made the choice to leave us and she never looked back once! I could care less what became of her!"

This was the first time Toph had seem Wolf so angry since they first met. Granted it was only a few hours ago, but the level of intensity he had now was so unlike him. She decided it would be best to change the subject. "What happened to your father then?"

Most of Wolf's anger seemed to have subsided, but there was still a hint of irritation in his tone. "He and I, we kept moving on like always, but he was never the same again. I guess I can't blame him since we just lost half our family," he paused, "but what I can't forgive is thinking that it was only his loss. In the end he ended up dumping me on some backwater planet with a monthly stipend to keep me alive."

"Oh, I see." Toph's voice got a bit lower.

"Some years later he sent me a message saying he was going to fight the Mandalorians. He got himself killed at the front lines." Wolf paused for a bit and let out a long drawn out sigh. "Thanks for listening, especially since I went a bit crazy."

"No problem, it's what I do." She smiled. "After all, not much more to do when you can't see." She was now waving her right hand in front of her face that had a goofy grin on it.

This made Wolf laugh and lifted his spirits.

"Good to see your back to your more sort of cheerful self."

"Yeah, and it's thanks to you. I guess this makes us even."

"For what?"

"Your accommodations, the quick tour of this fabulous city, and the meal." His look suddenly became a bit softer. "But honestly, thank you. I haven't felt this relieved in, well, forever."

Toph just looked at him with a slightly satisfied look on her face. "You know, if you want me to owe you another one, then there is something else you could do for me."

Wolf raised his left brow and made an inquisitive face. "What's that?"

"You could tell me your name."

He sighed. "You know if I tell you my real name you have to promise you won't tell anyone else unless I ok it. Got it?"

She gave him a comical salute. "Yes sir!"

"Seriously," his face became serious again "there are only a handful of people who I've trusted with my name, and it took them years to earn that trust."

"Don't worry, I understand." Toph's face also became serious.

"Ok. My real name is Sokka."

This time there was no holding back Toph's utter surprise. "WHAT?! SOKKA FROM TARIS?!"

A funny, annoyed look came over Sokka's face. "Yeah ok, go ahead and shout my name out to the whole moon why don't you. I only use oh so casually after all."

Toph became redder than a Sith lightsaber and shut her mouth with her hands as she quickly sat down. "Sorry!" She whispered. "It's just that, well you're Sokka from Taris right?! The same Sokka who I met in the Lower City! My best friend Sokka!"

Sokka merely looked at her with a genuinely perplexed look on his face. "No. Sorry, but I've never even been to Taris. And besides, I'm sure I'd remember you if we were best friends from childhood. Heck, I doubt I could forget you a hundred years from now." He chuckled a bit.

The young Jedi seemed truly disappointed. "But your family, your past, it all fits so well with the Sokka I knew."

"I'm really sorry, but as much as I'd liked to be that Sokka, I'm not him. My childhood would have been a lot nicer with you as a friend." He blushed at his comment and quickly tried to recover. "I mean I didn't have any friends growing up, and you and this other Sokka sound like you got along great."

"Yeah we did. He, his other friends and I were actually all Force sensitive, so we helped each other practice our skills."

"Well that settles it. I'm not Force sensitive, or ever truly was, despite what the Jedi said about me being "marginal."

"Yeah I guess you're right."

Now Sokka could definitely tell she was sad and it bothered him. "Listen, I know I'm not the Sokka you knew, but I can still be your, well, friend. I mean if it's okay with you."

This made Toph smile slightly. "Thanks."

"Anytime, besides, what else are non Force sensitives good for?"

Now Toph was laughing for real again.

"Well, we better get going now." He got up from his seat. "It's already getting late, and I'm not sure about you Jedi, but I need my beauty sleep."

Toph got up too and gave him another of her impish grins. "Yeah, I guess you do need that beauty sleep. You're no looker you know."

"What's that supposed to mean?! I'll have you know that…" His expression suddenly changed to an annoyed one. "Why do you feel the need to do that?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Elsewhere on the Telos Space Station

The Telos Space Station was filled with people, although not nearly as many as Nar Shaddaa. Most were the scientists, engineers, and other workers who were working hard to bring the dead world beneath the station back to its former glory. The world of Telos was the first of many worlds Malak and the Sith wiped out in there conquest, which made it the perfect world to start the rebuilding process. Recent attractions like the new Swoop Racing circuit and even some business ventures brought in a steady flow of newcomers, but some only came through as a means to reach some alternate destination. As such, the two young refugees aroused little suspicion with the lanky, red haired employee attending them at the space port.

"So, you youngsters are headed for Nar Shaddaa? Hell of a place to go by choice. Never did figure out why you refugees always seem to end up there."

"Oh, I have some family there so my fiancée and I are on our way to meet up with them." The young, slightly dark skinned girl replied with a smile. She then took her companion by the arm and dragged him to their designated shuttle. "Come along dear, we don't want to miss the shuttle do we?"

"Uh, oh yeah, right, we certainly don't," replied the young bald man who was her fiancé.

Her fiancé did seem a bit distracted, but the attendant paid no heed to it. _Heh, some guys have all the luck. Man, what would I give to be able to snag me a wife like that._ He continued on with his duties as the two made their way onto the shuttle.

Once Aang saw that they were out of danger of being overheard by both him and anyone around he whispered something into Katara's ear while blushing slightly. "Hey, you never told me we'd be posing as soon to be married couple. How about a little warning next time?"

Katara merely giggled slightly as she placed her hand on her mouth to muffle the sound. "What's wrong? I thought you'd like the idea of us getting married."

Aang's face suddenly looked as shocked as if he had seen a hairless wookie. "Wha-What do you mean by that?!" _Man, am I really that obvious?! First Toph figures it out and now Katara!_

"Oh nothing really, just having some fun is all." Katara smiled as she kept leading him to their seats by his arm.

Truthfully, Aang didn't really mind being led to his seat if it meant Katara was holding his arm. In fact he enjoyed being this close to her, so much in fact that he failed to notice the robed individual who had followed them into the shuttle.

The man's identity was completely eclipsed by his robes, the scarf covering most of his face, and the Arkanian Vsion Enhancement goggles he wore over his eyes. He had been following the two young adults since they had arrived on the Telos Space Station and had been skilled enough to avoid detection. Even now he was listening in on them with a sonic ear piece he wore on his left ear.

"So," Aang spoke, "Toph is supposed to be meeting us at the docks tomorrow morning, but what about Zuko?"

"He should be arriving at about the same time as us, if not sooner. It should be fairly easy find the bar this Shadow Wolf wanted us to meet him in from there."

Katara's mood had been fairly calm up until she mentioned their contacts name. This, however, was only slightly overlooked by the robed man. He was far more interested in their contact now. _So, I was right. He made contact with the Jedi as expected. Now all I have to do is sit back let them lead me to him._

Just then his thoughts were interrupted by a small child who happened to sitting next to him. "Mr., why do you wear those funny looking glasses?"

The man just looked at the young child behind his veiled face. "Because, my eyes aren't used to such bright lights little one." His voice seemed uncharacteristically kind for such an imposing figure.

The child merely responded. "Is that why you have all those clothes on too?"

"Yes, that's exactly right. Now run along, I'm sure your parents must be worried about you."

"Okay. Bye, bye Mr."

With the child gone, the man once again patiently continued his surveillance of the two Jedi.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Nar Shaddaa, the Refugee Sector

"Not a very eye-catching place now is it." Toph told Sokka as they finally entered the infamous Refugee Sector of Nar Shaddaa.

From what she could deduce, the Refugee Sector was nothing more than a large underground storage center that had been converted into a small community. The shelters, if they could be called that, were mostly old shipping containers that had been transformed into makeshift homes.

"It may not look like much, but its warm, and its safe, well mostly."

Sokka led her into the small community, and along the way Toph heard various hellos and other pleasantries that were apparently directed at him.

"Looks like you're well known here."

"Well, the whole saving them from slavery thing really does wonders for my reputation here. But to be honest, I didn't want them to know it was me that stopped the Red Eclipse's slave raids, but word spread somehow."

"I guess you prefer to keep a low profile too then?"

"Yeah, it makes things a lot easier in my line of work and my personal life."

It wasn't too long after they ventured into the Refugee Sector that a middle aged red haired man approached them. "Ah, welcome back Wolf, and I see you've brought a friend."

"Hey Randall, this is my friend Toph. I ran into her near the docks. Apparently Trax was trying to pull a fast one but got a little more than he could handle." He motioned towards Toph. "It turns out Toph here is a skilled martial artist."

The man named Randall gave a hearty laugh. "I see, so she turned the tables on Trax and his cronies then. Well, serves him right."

"You got that right." Sokka continued. "However, as you know, Trax isn't one to stand being made a fool of. I was hoping you could lend her a place to crash for a while. At least until she's finished with her business here on Nar Shaddaa."

"Of course, of course," Randall's attention shifted towards Toph now, "any friend of Wolf's is a friend of ours. We owe this young man much."

"Thank you." Toph replied. "I appreciate your hospitality."

"You're very welcome," Randall replied. "This way please. I'm afraid our living quarters aren't the most decorated, but they are comfortable." He began walking further into the refugee community and Toph followed him. She stopped when she realized that Sokka wasn't following.

"You have your own pad or what?" Toph asked him teasingly.

"Nah, I just some unfinished business that needs to be taken care of. Besides I doubt you'd want me to sleep in the same room as you." He laughed a bit.

"That's an understatement." She said as she laughed a bit herself.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around Toph. Good luck with that mission of yours, oh, and don't worry about Trax for tomorrow. I'll make sure to get him off your back long enough for you to do whatever it is that you need to." With that he waved goodbye to her as he made way back out the Refugee Sector. _Man, I've seen my fair of Jedi, but nothing like her. Then again, I doubt I've met anyone quite like her_.

Toph continued to follow Randall to her temporary accommodation, but she never stopped feeling for Sokka until he was beyond the range of her senses, which were surprisingly extensive when she focused. _Hmph that was awfully rude. I mean first he drags me all over this city and then he just dumps me off after, after… Damn! There is no emotion, there is peace. Much better! Why do I even care about him just leaving anyways? He was just a random merc after all, nothing like the Sokka I knew._ Her expression saddened a bit._ But then why does it feel like it he is?_

**Chp. 4 was one of my favorites. I had fun with the Tokkaness LOL.**

**Okay, so now we get a clearer background on Wolf (AKA- Sokka), but he's not the same Sokka Toph new on Taris. Also, when he said that the refugees reminded him of himself at one time he was reffering to how they looked out for each other like the family he once had and lost (his real family-Mother, Father, and Sister). **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or Starwars, I just have using them in fan fics **


	6. Chapter 5: Reunions

Riddles and Reasons

Chapter 5:

Reunions

……………………………………………………………………………………………………  
The Next Day

Toph watched as the latest refugee vessel to land in the Nar Shaddaa space port released its passengers, her conical hat was now resting on the back of her head instead of on it. There were quite a few refugees that disembarked, but she easily found the person she had been waiting for. The man she was looking for had one of the stranger Force auras she had come across after all. Unlike Sokka's aura it wasn't suppressed or dulled by neglect, as Toph had assumed, but it was more accurate to say that it was tainted.  
"Hey Sparky!"  
A young man with a fierce scar across his left eye and part of his left side of his face responded to the name with an annoyed look. "Toph, I've told you not to call me that." Besides his scar, he had on a simple red T-shirt with a reddish brown long sleeve, open flack vest covering it. Additionally he had on simple cargo pants that matched his vest. Overall it gave him the appearance of a hot shot pilot or a swoop-racer.  
"Sorry Sparky, but old habits die hard," she smiled her mischievous grin at him.  
Zuko closed his eyes ran his hand through his bushy black hair in frustration. "Whatever," he looked at her directly now, "any word on Aang or Katara yet."  
"Nah, but they should be here soon. So how'd your mission go? You know the one on Corellia." She asked as she leaned against the city street railings and shifted her gaze to the street floor.  
"You mean the Sith Assassins who were found dead there. Sorry, not much to tell," he paused in deep thought, "well except that they were killed by an even better assassin."  
"What?" Toph made a bewildered look on her face while still facing the floor. "Even better assassins than Sith Assassins? Now that's hard to picture."  
"You're telling me." Zuko's expression became solemn. Not long ago, he had counted himself as one of them.  
Toph picked up on his mood and tried to cheer him up. "Look you gave up that part of your life a long time ago on Dantooine when you saved those younglings. What's more, you paid the price for doing the right thing." She pointed at his scar.  
She may have been blind, but she could see others through the Force like they were beacons in the dark outlines of the world she had always known. In Zuko's case, she could see and feel his warmth, something all individuals who were attuned to the light side of the Force had in common. Additionally, however, she could also feel the cold taint that marked his face. It was a cruel memento his father had left him the day Zuko had betrayed him.  
Zuko's expression grew softer. "Thanks." He looked out at the incoming vessels that were docking. "Still, the whole thing was odd."  
"You mean about the assassinated assassins?" Toph responded with a mild laughter that tried to make light of the situation.  
"Uh, yeah," Zuko responded a bit surprised with her nonchalant attitude, "but we should wait for Aang and Katara before we get into that."  
A grin suddenly appeared on his face. "Besides, what about you? You seem way more cheerful than the last time we saw each other. What have you been up to?" He eyed her suspiciously while still maintaining his grin.  
Toph didn't respond at first. She just let a smile form on her face as she remembered the events from the previous night and the stranger who had been a refreshing reminder of simpler times long gone.  
"Not much Sparky, I just had the most peaceful sleep anyone could hope to have in a shipping crate last night."  
"What?" Zuko was clearly confused by her response.  
Suddenly Toph lifter her head up with a half smile on her face. "Looks like we won't have to wait long for your mission report after all Sparky."  
At first Zuko wasn't sure of what she was talking about, but then he sensed the presence of the other two as well. He also allowed for a small smile to form on his face too.  
"Hey guys!" an all too cheerful and familiar voice called out, although a bit deeper than both remembered.  
Both Toph and Zuko turned too face Aang and Katara who had just disembarked from their ship and were making their way towards them.  
Zuko was a bit surprised to see how much Aang had grown since their last encounter only a year ago. Before Aang barely passed his shoulders, but now he was an inch or so shy of surpassing him in height. Katara hadn't grown much taller, but she hadn't lost any of the beauty he remembered.  
Both had ditched their travel robes and where now wearing more casual wear. Aang had on a light brown, long sleeve vest that that was streamlined and resembled a military uniform, with the exception that he had it open to reveal a black muscle shirt. His pants matched his vest perfectly in that they were also brown and sleek. Katara on the other hand chose not to stray to far from their average Jedi clothing and had on robe like short sleeve, blue vest and pants. These matched well with the blue stone necklace she had on, a special reminder of her mother.  
Toph ran up to the two and they all embraced in a big group hug. Zuko felt a bit out of place and didn't join in. After all, even though years had passed since he was a Sith Assassin it wasn't easy to forgive yourself for trying to kill your new friends.  
"Twinkle Toes! Sugar Queen! How've you guys been?" Toph asked them.  
"Great, but do you really need to keep calling us that? I mean we're not the goofy kids we used to be after all." Katara responded while giving Toph a slightly awkward looked.  
"On the bright side your names don't sound like they were meant for Kath pup." Zuko commented with an unhappy look on his face.  
"Well that's true." Aang agreed with a smirk on his face. "And how about you Zuko? How's the Jedi life been treating you? I bet it's better than now that you don't have to watch your back for rivals trying to saber you."  
"Aang!" Katara scolded him.  
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean it like…"  
Zuko just burst out laughing. "Don't worry about." Then his look became more solemn. "I just wish it were true, but with my father gaining dominance of the rival Sith Lords it's been just as bad as my days in the Academy."  
The others didn't press Zuko about what he meant. They all knew the rumors and stories about the Sith Academy on Korriban. It was said that if you fellow students didn't end up killing you and if you managed to avoided the planet's natural dangers, then there was a good chance the Academy instructors would finish you off if only to test you or make an example of you. That was the way of the Sith, only the strong survived. It was their greatest strength and their greatest weakness. The practice culled the weak from the flock, but it also invited betrayal and dissension amongst their ranks.  
For a while no one spoke until Toph finally broke the silence.  
"So Sparky, what were you saying about your mission in Corellia again?"  
"Oh, I was just about to…Hey! I told you to stop calling me that!"  
"Zuko. Remember, "There is not emotion, there is peace." Katara reminded him, but mostly to annoy him further.  
"Right, right." Zuko replied in annoyed tone as he rubbed the temple on his forehead.  
"Anyways, like I was telling Toph earlier, there wasn't much to find at the crime scene except that it seemed that the six Sith Assassins were done in by one person. Needless to say that the person who killed them was an exceptionally skilled assassin, because the Sith that were killed were part of my former unit."  
This time all three of the Jedi looked genuinely surprised.  
"Hey you didn't tell me that before!" Toph exclaimed.  
"What? Are you sure about that Zuko?" Aang asked despite the fact that he knew Zuko wouldn't have said it unless he was absolutely sure. "I mean you…I mean those guys were good enough to kill several Jedi Masters in the War!"  
"Yeah, I'm positive." Zuko shifted his gaze towards the ground as he spoke. "I recognized them from my time with the Sith."  
"Still," he continued, "I can't believe how good the assassin was. They were all killed with a single precise strike with a lightsaber, and there wasn't any sign of a major struggle. From what I could tell it was over faster than any of them could respond in kind, and that in and of itself scares me."  
"But that's not all is it." Katara stated rather than asked.  
"No. A group of Assassins that large could only mean one thing; that they were targeting major political figure heads simultaneously."  
Now it was Aang who spoke. "That means that they were trying to destabilize the Corellia's government to weaken them for an assault, political or otherwise." Aang's expression grew serious. "In the state the Republic is in, destabilizing governments in several key planets alone could be enough to cause it to implode on itself, leaving the Sith or anyone else to pick up the pieces. I'm guessing Corellia isn't the only planet where we can expect to see more Sith Assassins then?"  
"Without a doubt," Zuko paused for a minute, "but that also means that whoever killed them is trying to prevent that from happening."  
"Well isn't that a good thing then?" Toph asked.  
Zuko shifted his gaze towards her. "Not necessarily. We know nothing about whoever is interfering with my father's plans except that they are powerful enough to actually hinder them. Moreover they're not friends of the Jedi or the Republic."  
"How can you be sure Zuko?" Katara inquired. "I doubt they left a message for you."  
"Actually, they did."  
Once again all three Jedi expressed looks of surprise. Before they could ask him Zuko answered their next question.  
"There was a residual presence in the Force where the assassins were killed. Whoever killed them made no effort to hide it once they left. It was…" He found it difficult to continue. "It was a powerful malice, mixed emotions of anger and hate. What's more, these emotions were directed at the Jedi as well as the Sith." He turned his gaze back to his three comrades. "Whoever did it wanted to make it clear that they're coming after us, all of us, the Sith and the Jedi."  
"Great, like I wasn't having enough trouble getting some sleep." Toph said sarcastically.  
"Eh, I wouldn't worry about it guys." An unusually cheerful look suddenly came over Aang's face as he spoke. The others only looked at him like if he had just declared himself the next Dark Lord.  
"What I mean is that we already had the Sith coming after us, so having to watch our backs is something we're already prepared for. Now, however, they're in the same boat as us and also have someone coming after them. This evens the odds a bit."  
"Always the optimist aye Twinkle Toes." Toph stated in an annoyed tone.  
"Well someone has to be; otherwise we'd all be as cranky as you Toph." Aang laughed but quickly cut it short when Toph glared at him with a look that could kill. Suddenly he found himself fearing for his life, not something a Jedi often does.  
Luckily for him Toph merely laughed after she saw she had spooked him.  
"Yeah, I guess you're right Twinkle Toes."  
Now Katara was eyeing Toph strangely once again. "Okay, when did you replace Toph?"  
Actually, the whole group was bit surprised at Toph's cheerful demeanor, well, cheerful for her at least. Normally she'd be complaining about something or other, using the Force to knock them flat on their backs, or simply challenging to a life or death saber match out of boredom. In fact she'd been that way since they first met her on the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine some nine years ago. The only Master willing to accept and tolerate her as their Padawan was Master Bumi, but then again, he wasn't all that normal himself.  
Toph was genuinely annoyed now and threw her hands up in frustration. "Geeze is it so hard to accept that I'm in a good mood! I mean seriously, I'd enjoy this moment if I were you guys because it isn't going to come again anytime soon, if at all!"  
"No, no, no! We're happy to that you're happy." Katara said raising her own hands halfway up in an effort to calm down Toph. "But you have to admit, it is a bit out of character for you."  
Toph was about to respond to Katara with a raised fist, but then seemed to think about what she said and put it down. "Well I guess you're right."  
"So why are you in such a good mood?" Katara continued. A mischievous grin appeared on her face. "Did you meet somebody while you were here?"  
This last comment turned Toph's cheeks pink and her mood hysterical. "Of course I didn't! I'm a Jedi remember, we don't do crushes! Besides he was just helping me find a place to crash, it wasn't like it was a date or…" Hey eyes quickly grew wide and she shut her mouth with her own hand.  
Everyone was now also wide eyed and watching her intently.  
"Well, it's not important now! We should get back to the task at hand!" With her face red Toph turned and headed down a street leading away from the port. "Aren't you guys coming? I found the cantina we were supposed to meet our contact."  
The others were still a bit dumbstruck by what Toph had said and her reaction, but it was obvious that she didn't want to talk about the matter anymore for the time being so they simply followed.

Not an hour later they found themselves at a run down cantina on one of the more deplorable sections of Nar Shaddaa, if that was even possible. The cantina would have been difficult to find if not for the directions Toph got from her acquaintance last night. Its entrance was hidden in an alley that could've been a trash compacter if not for the narrow passage between the heaps of scrap and garbage. If there was once a sign that offered any form of greeting to the cantina's patrons it was long gone and now replaced by letters that had been carved into the wall over the entrance and read "The Vagrant's Paradise."  
"So the guy you went out on a date with told you about this pla…oof." Aang didn't even get to finish his sentence before Toph smacked him into the ground.  
"I already told you guys," she stressed every word in her sentence, "IT WASN'T A DATE!! It was just two professionals exchanging information."  
"And dinner." Katara giggled.  
Toph just blew the bangs in front of her face with an angry look on her face and her arms crossed in front of her.  
"Well let's go meet this Shadow before he decides to leave." Zuko said hoping to end any more Toph induced violence.  
"No, he won't leave." Katara's voice was now stern and void of warmth as she stepped into the cantina.  
This was a side of Katara few had ever seen before, so naturally Toph was curious. "What's her deal? Does she know this guy?" She asked.  
Aang looked a little too serious for himself when he responded. "Not personally. He was the mercenary that was hired by the Order to assist Yue in her investigation of the Scarlet Dagger organization almost two years ago."  
"You mean he's the one that…"  
"Yeah, he's the one that may be responsible for her death." Aang looked at both Zuko and Toph. "Remember Katara and Yue were both Padawans under Master Pakku. They were closer than sisters; so let's keep an eye out for Katara as well as this Shadow guy. She may not be thinking too clearly for once."  
Toph just crossed her arms again and made an aggravated face. "Geeze, is it too much to ask not to be left out of the loop for once?! All Master Bumi told me was that this guy was mercenary that had info on the Sith."  
Aang just laughed. "We'll be sure that Master Iroh sends the message the next time around."  
"Uhm, I'm not too sure that'll be much of an improvement Aang." Zuko said as he followed the two into the cantina.  
With all the arguing and idle chatter the group had been doing since their reunion, the same hooded figure that had followed Aang and Katara from Telos found it easy to trail them to the cantina. Now, however, he was prepared to do more than just follow.

Inside the group found that "The Vagrant's Paradise" only lived up to half its name. The place reeked of hard liquor, sweat, and possibly even spice. The walls were virtually bare with the exception of a few holoscreens, some graffiti, and what appeared to be holes from blaster fire; windows were nonexistent. There were a few round tables in the cantina's center and a few booths along the walls. What was even more distasteful than the cantina itself though, were its clientele that clearly consisted of thugs, criminals, and other lowlifes. There were some Humans, perhaps a Mandalorian or two, some Twi'leks, a few Trandoshans, Rodians, and about half a dozen Gamorreans. The proprietor of the establishment was a Duros and he seemed to be the only one working there with the exception of two serving droids. All in all "The Vagrant's Paradise" was definitely someplace you'd go to if you had some business you wanted kept confidential, or if you flat out hit rock bottom.  
"Not the homeliest place on Nar Shaddaa now is it?" Aang said.  
"I'll say. I can't even see the place and I can tell I wouldn't want to." Toph agreed.  
Zuko looked around the room trying to find someone who might be Shadow. "So which one of these guys do you think Shadow is?"  
"I guess it'll be one of the bigger guys, like an ex-commando or something." Aang suggested. "He did make it out of Korriban alive after all."  
He scanned the room and saw a bald man who was easily the biggest and most broadly built of the bunch drinking alone. He was also well armed with a heavy repeating blaster rifle, was dressed in Mandalorian combat armor, and also had several scars on his face and arms. From the looks of it, he was definitely a Mandalorian.  
"That looks like he could be our man." Aang said as he pointed to the Mandalorian.  
The group slowly made their way towards him.  
They hadn't gone a few feet when one of the thugs, a ragged looking man, reached out for Katara's arm. She, however, sensed him and avoided his hand.  
"What's a matter sweetie? Scared of a good time?" The man was obviously drunk. He reached for Katara again, but this time Aang stepped into his way. The man became disgruntled and got up with a dagger in his hand. "Out of the way baldy." He shouted as he pointed the dagger at Aang's face. Before he could even make his move Zuko grabbed his wrist and a quick fluent movement twisted his arm, making him drop the dagger, and then brought the same hand to the man's chest and shoved him halfway across the room into the table with the Gamorreans.  
Both the man's drinking buddies and the Gamorreans got up at once, but they were instantly stopped by Zuko's glare. Zuko used the same look on all in the cantina and they understood that he wasn't someone they wanted to mess with. The Gamorreans just shoved the man off their table and continued drinking. The man's three friends helped him up and got out of the cantina quicker their drunken states would have normally allowed them.  
"Nice one Sparky." Toph said as she smiled and admired Zuko's handiwork.  
"I told you to, oh never mind." Zuko remarked, annoyed once again.  
"Well shall we." Katara led the way over to the Mandalorian who hadn't been the least disturbed by the scuffle.  
"Are you Shadow?" She stated in commanding voice.  
"That all depends on who's looking for him." The man responded not even bothering to look up from his round of what appeared to be Antakarian Fire dancer, a strong alcoholic beverage.  
"The people you sent for!" Katara slammed her palm hard onto the man's table and caused his drink to quake, but not fall.  
This time the man looked directly at her and gave a curt chuckle. "About time you showed up. I thought I was going to have to order another round."  
"Well that was easy." Aang commented. "I thought you'd be harder to find."  
"Normally I am, but this is a special occasion."  
"Well, don't you have some vital information that you want to share with us." Katara continued with a cold voice.  
The Mandalorian merely shrugged. "Sure, for the right price that is."  
Katara was just stunned. What nerve! The bastard calls us all the way out here and now expects payment! Her own emotions were clouding her perception now.  
"You never mentioned anything about a fee for your information in the message you sent us!" Aang was also clearly caught off guard by this development as well.  
"That's because he's not Shadow." Toph casually responded. She had a natural gift for telling when people were lying despite the fact that she didn't have the mental abilities of a Jedi Consular like Katara. In fact, she only used the Force to feel an individual's heartbeat and then pick up some of their more openly projected emotions to piece the truth of their words together.  
The Mandalorian calmly laughed at having been figured out. "I'm a bit surprised it took so long for a group of Jedi to figure that out." His words were loud enough for them to hear him, but just soft enough that everyone else in the place wouldn't hear them.  
This last comment caused the whole group to flinch, if only on the inside. They hadn't even found their contact yet and they had already been discovered to be Jedi.  
It was Zuko that broke the short silence. "What makes you think that we're Jedi?" He kept his nerve, but the Mandalorian didn't buy it.  
"Don't insult me or yourselves by denying it. I fought enough of your kind during the Mandalorian War and then again in the Jedi Civil war to know Jedi when I see one. Your movements and your character just scream 'Jedi." He took another shot of the Antakarian Fire Dancer he had ordered.  
"So you were just playing the part hoping to lure us into a trap to collect the bounty, isn't that right?" Toph asked.  
"Exactly right missy; I can hold my own against one of your kind, but four on one, well that's pushing it even for a Mandalorian." A light smile crossed his face. "However, now that the jigs up, I'll have to settle for Plan B."  
"And that is?" Toph continued.  
"That I get you to pay me to keep my mouth shut. Nar Shaddaa can be a dangerous place for Jedi, what with the bounty hunters and all." His smile never left his face.  
Zuko made a move for his lightsabers.  
"Ha, ha. Oh come on now, you're a Jedi. You won't kill me, not when I'm defenseless."  
Zuko grimaced as he rested his hands on his sides away from his concealed weapons.  
"I thought not. You're compassion was always one of your greatest weaknesses in the wars." The Mandalorian brought another shot up close to his lips. "Oh, and don't even think about using that Jedi mind trick crap. It only works on the weak minded, and keeping a sharp, disciplined mind saved my ass from your kind too many times to count. Now about my…ugh!"  
He never got to finish his sentence. A hooded man in a slender black cloak had knocked him unconscious with a chop to the back of the Mandalorian's head. It brought him down fast and hard onto the table he had been occupying. The ruckus turned a few heads from the patrons in the 'Vagrants Paradise,' but only for short while.  
Aang, Katara, and Zuko were too focused on the Mandalorian to have sensed the man's presences closing and were taken by surprise. Toph, however, had sensed him coming a mile away, but was still dumbstruck for a completely different reason.  
"What are you doing here Wolf?!" Toph yelled a little louder than he had intended.  
Sokka took off his hood and merely flashed her a smile behind closed eyes. "Well someone's got to watch your backsides." He put a hand to cover the side of his mouth and pretended to whisper to Toph. "No offence. I know you can handle yourself, but your friends here aren't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed."  
Aang looked at Toph and then to the man named Wolf. "Uhm, you two know each other?"  
"Yeah, I guess we do." Toph responded as she shrugged slightly. "We met last night. He's the guy I told you about."  
"Oh, so he was your da…" Again Toph smacked Aang to the floor before he could finish his sentence.  
Toph turned her attention back to Sokka. "Okay spill it. Why are you really here?"  
"Well, I guess there's no getting anything past you." His charismatic smile suddenly turned serious. "Actually, I'm the one who sent for you in the first place."  
Toph's eyes widened as she pointed a finger straight at Wolf. "You're the mercenary we're supposed to meet?!"  
"Yep." Sokka now turned to the other three. "Pleased to meet you; my friends call me Wolf, but my business partners call me Shadow Wolf."

**So Sokka, a.k.a. Shadow Wolf was the mercenary that the Gaang was supposed to meet. And is he really responsible for Yue's death? And what about that mysterious figure who's been trailing Aang and Katara from Telos? And for that matter why does he need the Gaang's help? You'll have to wait and see, all will come in time.**

**Discailmer: I don't own Avatar or Star Wars, I just have to keep saying it so I don't get sued **


	7. Chapter 6: Intentions

Riddles and Reasons

Riddles and Reasons  
Chapter 6:  
Intentions

The group just looked at the young man who had introduced himself as Shadow Wolf, and then they looked at each other. None of them were sure how to respond to his new development, least of all Toph. For once she was speechless.  
Luckily for them Sokka, a.k.a. Shadow Wolf, had no trouble finding the words to get them moving.

"Listen I know this might be a bit confusing, but just standing around over an unconscious Mandalorian can attract attention even in this dump." He turned and motioned for them to follow him to one of the semicircle booths with a slight jerk of his neck.  
When they reached the booth Sokka sat on one side while Katara and Aang took seats across from him. Toph and Zuko decided it would be best to stand. The booth didn't leave much room to move in the case of an attack, plus Toph wasn't personally feeling up to sharing a seat with the man that had been deceiving her all last night.

_Damn jerk was probably just sizing me up last night to get an idea of what he was getting into! I can't believe I actually trusted him! The whole story about his family and everything else was probably a front to get me to trust him and I fell for it!_  
Sokka glanced at Toph and quickly looked away to the table when he saw the stern look on her face and with her arms crossed. "I'm sorry about not telling you last night Toph."  
His apology brought Toph out of her heated thoughts. "Huh?"  
"I wanted to tell you, but I wasn't sure how'd you take it, and well…"  
"Well what?" She was getting annoyed with him.  
"Well, to be honest, I was actually having a good time and I didn't want to ruin it." He seemed to blush, but only slightly and the dim lighting in the establishment helped to hide it.  
Sokka's words caused Toph's eyes to widen considerably and everyone else's to focus on her with a look of surprise.  
"Also," he continued, "for what it's worth, everything I told you last night was true. I just didn't tell you everything all at once is all."  
Toph could tell from his heartbeat and base emotions that he was being honest. This, however, didn't change the fact that she felt betrayed somehow.  
"Hmph! Like I care." She looked away with her arms still crossed.  
Although he didn't show it, the last comment actually cut Sokka pretty deep. _Well, I guess I deserved that._ He thought glumly.  
Aang wanted to ask about what it was that they had talked about last night, but the bruises from where Toph had already smashed him into the ground twice were still fresh. Zuko wasn't even sure what to think, let alone how to respond. Katara only felt her anger starting to rise.  
_This bastard probably got Yue killed, and now he's putting the moves on Toph!! No way am I going to let this slide! Katara thought angrily_.  
Always the caring and considerate one in the group, Katara never let her emotions, especially anger, get the better of her. Now, however, she couldn't disperse them despite her training.  
"Listen! We didn't come here to idly chat; we're here on business if you don't remember!" Katara locked eyes with Sokka and her gaze was so intense she could've been trying to break through his own eyes and into his very soul.  
Sokka, however, only returned the gaze with an equal yet calm ferocity. He wasn't the least bit intimidated by her stare because he knew he was at least as angry at her as she was of him, if not more.  
_So she did forget. All these years and she doesn't even know that it's her own brother right in front of her. And what's with this attitude? I guess the Jedi haven't just been dropping only their eligibility standards. Still, I wonder if they sent her because they knew it was Me._  
He didn't once break the fierce look from Katara's eyes, and he had good reason to respond to her glare in kind. After all in many ways it was her fault that their family had fallen apart, or at least that's what he believed.  
After what seemed like hours, although in fact it had been mere seconds, Sokka finally spoke. "You're right; I didn't come here to 'idly chat,' I came here to strike a deal."  
It was Zuko who responded to him now. "What kind of deal are we talking about here? What is it that you found in Korriban?"  
Sokka turned his gaze towards Zuko. "A Sith holocron, and not just any Sith's. This Holocron belonged to Revan himself."  
Now he had the whole group's attention in earnest, even Katara's.  
"And what do you want in exchange for it? And for that matter, how do we know it's the real deal?" Katara asked coldly.  
"You misunderstand me. I don't want anything for the holocron, I want your help to unlock it."  
"Why would you need our help? Holocrons are accessible to just about anyone once they've been activated, and even if it was encrypted why would a Jedi be the only one who could open it?" Aang inquired. "If it was left on Korriban then Revan made it during his reign as the Sith Lord. That being the case I doubt he would allow for it to be unlocked by a Jedi."  
"Normally I'd agree with you Jedi."  
"His name is Aang!" Katara scolded him.  
"Touchy aren't we." Sokka smirked. "Still, if we plan to work together I guess I better learn your names."  
"Who said we were willing to work with you." Katara continued. "From what we can tell you need us to open the holocron, but we don't really need you except to find it."  
"Katara." Zuko had to intervene. He could tell Katara was in no state to negotiate with Shadow Wolf. Her emotions were clearly clouding her judgment.  
"You bring up a good point Ms. Katara," Sokka did his best to keep his voice nonchalant, "but it would actually be more accurate to say that you need me."  
"Why is that?" Zuko asked.  
"Because the holocron genetically encoded itself to me when I first found it, so only I can activate it."  
Zuko hid his surprise well, but his tone also betrayed a slight hint of anxiousness. "That doesn't make any sense. How did that happen? And for that matter, how is it that you found this holocron in the first place? I don't think Revan meant for a non-Force user to be the one to find it."  
Sokka just kept silent with his eyes closed. He was in deep thought over whether or not he should show his hand so early in the game. _Well, its not like I didn't see this one coming, but I guess I have to tell them now if I want to earn their trust. If I do tell them though, it'll probably make them even more suspicious of me in the long run._  
"We're waiting." Now it was Toph who was asking the questions.  
Toph's voice caused Sokka to flinch ever so slightly. _Damn! Now I'm going to have to tell them. Man, why did it have to be someone like her here? If it were anyone else I wouldn't be second guessing myself nearly as much._  
He let out small sigh. "All right, I'll tell you what I can. To be completely honest though, even I'm not too sure how I found it." Sokka paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Your Masters probably already told you, but I used to serve under Revan in the Mandalorian Wars as a scout, soldier, and even tactician. I can't say we were especially close, but my skills did catch his attention and he eventually he had me study under him as a Senior Tactician."  
Everyone was hanging on to every word he said.  
_Wow. I thought it was going to be tough to get this guy to crack, but he's just letting it all out in casual conversation!_ Aang couldn't help but smirk. _I guess Katara's just as handy angry as she is when she's calm._  
Sokka, however, was no fool and he had already had suspicions that they were there to learn what they could from him and about him. Aang's smirk towards Katara only reaffirmed this, but in order to be sure he decided to test his suspicions.  
"Don't get to happy baldy. I'm only letting slip things I can handle the Council knowing."  
The comment clearly caught Aang off guard.  
Now Sokka was the one smirking. "Don't look to glum chum; I had my suspicions about you since the Council send word that they would meet me, but I could care less." He shrugged with his eyes closed.  
"I've got nothing to hide from you."  
"So why don't you use your real name So…"  
"BECAUSE THAT'S A MATTER OF TRUST!" Sokka snapped at Toph. "Something it looks like I may have misplaced."  
Toph hadn't seen Sokka this angry since he had told her about his family, and it worried her. Especially considering it was now directed at her rather than his family.  
"This was a mistake." Sokka finally said. "I'm gone." He was about to get up and leave when Toph grabbed his arm.  
"No, wait! I shouldn't have taken your trust in me so lightly. I'm sorry"  
In his mind Sokka was battling a current of emotions. He was hurt that she doubted him, but confused as to why it affected him so much. He was sad and at the same time happy that she was panicked by his response. He was angry, but at the same time he found it extremely difficult to maintain that emotion with the look of sincerity and regret on Toph's face.  
Eventually he relented and sat back down.  
"Listen, I know you're suspicious of me and my motives and you have every right to be, particularly because of the last time I worked with a Jedi."  
"You got that right!" Katara reprimanded him.  
"Shut it Sugar Queen!"  
Now it was Katara's turn to be stunned. She'd been used to Toph's rough manner by now, but the way she snapped at her right then and there was completely unheard of. Aang and Zuko were also surprised by Toph's outburst. Clearly more had happened between the two than Toph was willing to admit.  
Sokka was also surprised by Toph's sudden defense of him. For a moment he almost forgot what it was they were talking about.  
"Uhm, well the bottom line is that I can understand where you are coming from." He continued. "There are some things about myself that I would rather stay hidden for now, but in time I'll answer any questions you may have if you'll help me answer mine."  
"What do you mean?" Zuko asked him.  
"I mean that I have no rational idea how it is I found Revan's holocron, it just came to me in my dreams."  
"Dreams?"  
"It's hard to explain. They're more like visions or past memories, except they're not mine."  
"Well whose are they then?" Zuko continued.  
"It's hard to say for sure, but I believe they're Revan's."  
This last comment nearly made the four Jedi drop their jaws. Sokka could see their minds working into overdrive as they closed their jaws, and he silenced their questions prematurely by putting up his hand before telling them what he meant.  
"In my dreams I saw Revan leaving the holocron in Ajunta Paul's tomb and that's how I snuck into the Academy and retrieved it. Through the dreams I had an idea of the Academy's layout and its defense systems, so I knew how to sneak past them." He paused for a bit to gather his thoughts. "I can't be sure they're Revan's memories or how I even got them to begin with. I mean he trusted me and I trusted him, but other than that we weren't too close. It was nothing more than the loyalty between a superior and his subordinate. Nevertheless, the fact of the matter is that I do have them and that the holocron is now genetically encrypted to open only for me ."  
"So you want us to help you figure out why he left you this riddle?" Aang ventured.  
"Yes, but there's also more. You see, I've had dreams about things other than just places like Korriban. And frankly, they've been getting, well, worse."  
"How so?"  
"Well before I never even used to have dreams like the one that led me to Korriban, but now they just keep on coming. What's more, they're more like clues, or 'riddles' if you will. It's like if they're leading me to something big, and I have no idea why.

Across the cantina, a robbed figure was listening in attentively to what was being exchanged between his quarry and the Jedi. _Hmm, this is certainly interesting. It was a wonder why the Sith were keeping this bounty on the down low._ He continued to watch and listen. Years of experience had taught him that patience was an indispensable virtue when closing in on your prey. The slightest miscalculation could end up allowing your prey to escape or turn the tables on you, especially when Jedi were involved.  
The man tapped the table with his hand, which also revealed that he was as heavily armored as he was patient. _Something's not right. This guy made it out of Korriban in one piece and he's evaded capture by the competition for over a month, but yet he sets himself up for an easy ambush in a cantina with only one viable exit? No something's up._ He casually surveyed his surroundings and scanned the environment with the aid of the scanners on his helmet. Suddenly a small alert came on, the scanners had detected something. Mines! The place was covered in them, but on the bright side they were all flash and sonic mines so being fried or completely blown up wasn't an issue. Still with so many mines in place this Shadow Wolf had ensured a safe exit.  
_Hmm, this shouldn't be too hard._ The bounty hunter changed some settings in his helmet, via the control on his wrist, to try and jam the signal the mines would receive. Normally mines were set to go off with proximity sensors, but since that had yet to happen it was obvious that Shadow Wolf had modified them to explode when he activated them. This meant that the mines had some sort of radio receiver that could also be used to hack the mines and render them inert. After a few minutes of trying, however, the bounty hunter realized that this couldn't be done. _Very clever. He set up the receivers to change the frequency they receive constantly to prevent anyone from having enough time to hack them. This may be even more challenging than I first thought, but all the more fun._

On the other side of the establishment the bounty hunter's intended target continued his conversation with the Jedi.  
"In the long run you'll be helping yourselves out. I mean who knows what kind of juicy info Revan locked up in this holocron. Their may even be a weakness you could exploit against the Sith."  
"Or a trap." Zuko shot back. "I may not have met Revan in my time with the Sith, but I know he was clever enough to weave the most intricate of traps."  
"Yeah, Revan was genius in tactics and strategy, but setting up a trap like this isn't his style." Sokka countered. "He may have been a powerful Sith Lord, but vengeance across the grave doesn't strike me like something he'd do."  
"What makes say that, or that he's dead?"  
"I never said he was dead, just the Sith Lord he was. I thought you Jedi would recognize that he redeemed himself when he saved the Republic from his own followers. And as for him setting up a trap, well that would just be a pointless and costly endeavor to do for a revenge tactic. Revan always was restrained in his strategies, even as a Dark Lord from what I've heard."  
The others couldn't deny this last part. True, Revan conquered much of the Republic with cunning and ruthlessly efficient methods, but he was always careful to control the amount of damage he inflicted and used subtle means to achieve victory if possible. Unfortunately the same could not be said of his apprentice and successor Darth Malak who seemed to be on a crusade to completely eradicate the Republic.  
"Okay, say it isn't a trap. What can we do to help you?" Zuko continued. "Apparently the device is active since it responded to you, so what's the catch."  
"The catch is that even though only I can access the information, I…sort of can't." He made a gloomy and somewhat comical face.  
"What?!" The group cried in unison.  
"Hey it's not like I didn't try. It took me two weeks to figure out it had genetically encrypted itself to me." Sokka said as he raised his hands as if defending himself from the group's shock. "To be honest, I'm surprised I could even access it period. I knew right away only a Force sensitive could activate it when it didn't turn on after I first held it on Korriban. That is also why I sent the message to the Council on Alderaan as soon as I got off that Sith rock."  
"Then how did you get it to activate at all?" Aang inquired.  
"Actually it activated on its own one night. From what I could tell it was my recurring dreams that triggered it."  
Katara spoke, and for once without anger in her voice. "It sounds like you have some connection to the Force, although it's only miniscule. More than likely you subconsciously activated it in your sleep without even realizing it."  
"I thought so too, but now I'm at an impasse since those dreams won't do anything else now except steal my beauty sleep." Sokka let his chin rest on his closed fist. "I can't access the rest of it on my own, I need some help from you guys, because I doubt the Sith would be so willing. Especially considering I royally pissed off Azula when I got away and nearly blew her a new one with my ship."  
Toph laughed at this. "You hear that Sparky, he almost left you an only child."  
Zuko chuckled in return. "Too bad you didn't hit your mark."  
"What can I say, I was in hurry." Sokka joked. "But still," his look became serious; "I know the holocron is the key to answering the 'riddles' that have been plaguing my sleep. If you guys can't help me actually unlock this thing or even explain my dreams, then at least you could offer some backup while I figure it out. I do have half the Sith army chasing me and I will be traversing the path that turned Revan and Malak bad in the first place." He looked at all of them. "So how about it Jedi? Do you want in?"  
The four comrades looked at each other. They knew what their answer was, they had a mission after all.  
"What's the plan then?" Zuko asked him.  
A grin formed on Sokka's face. "Well, I haven't been able to access more info on the holocron, but my dreams have narrowed onto one location, a planet out here in the Outer Rim."  
"Which one?"  
"Dantooine."  
All four of the Jedi exchanged solemn looks. The last time they had been on Dantooine was when Malak personally laid waste to the Jedi Enclave most of them had grown up in. As for Zuko, that was the place where his conscience cost him his handsome face, and nearly his life. None of them were eager to return.  
Sokka sensed that something was bothering them, and he had a feeling he knew what it was. "Listen, I've heard about what happened on the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, but don't worry. The dreams I had didn't focus in on the Enclave, but rather the ancient ruins North-East of it."  
Now it was Toph's turn to query. "Why would your dreams lead to that place? It's not like anything important ever happened in those ruins."  
Sokka looked at them with disbelief. "Wha…you mean…they never told you?!"  
"Told us what?"  
"That's where Revan found the first of the Star Maps that led him and Malak to the Star Forge!"  
Again the group was dumbstruck. They'd heard rumors that Revan had found star maps that led him to the Star Forge, an ancient and living, alien factory that fed off the Dark Side and produced a limitless amount of capital ships, fighters, and battle droids for the Sith during the Jedi Civil War. However, they never dreamt that one of those very same maps was located on Dantooine.  
Sokka put his hand over his face in disbelief of the fact that the Jedi Council actually kept a secret so big from its students. "Wow, you'd think that you Jedi would have learned one of founding lessons of life by now."  
"And that is?" Katara responded in an annoyed tone of voice.  
"That ignorance and isolation are no protection." Sokka said as he let his hand fall from his face. "I'm guessing you know that Revan was retrained on Dantooine when his memory was erased by the Jedi Council. But what you obviously don't know was that he was also sent by the Council to retrace his steps as the Dark Lord so that he would lead them to the Star Forge. And it worked." He paused for a bit to let the information sink in. "More than likely the Council hid where these Star Maps were from the other Jedi because they were still a potent source of Dark Side energy. It would have been easy for them to corrupt inept Jedi Apprentices or Padawans that got too curious I guess"  
"And how do you know this? I was once a Sith and even I didn't know about it." Zuko countered.  
"Of course you wouldn't know. Sith don't share anything that would give their rivals an edge over them. And as for how I know, well, besides my dreams there is also the fact that I was a non-Force user and loyal student-of-war under Revan. Simply put, I was someone he could trust without fear of betrayal since I lacked the power and the motives for it, so he had me document some of his journeys for later study, including his journey to Dantooine." He scratched the side of his head. "Of course after Revan found the Star Map there he had me destroy any information I had about his travels, and he also had me stop documenting his journeys." Now he just shrugged. "After Dantooine I can't be certain where he went, I got out of the army right about then. Had a bad feeling about what was going on."  
"You knew and didn't warn the Republic!" Katara was just about hysterical now. Curiously, this outburst didn't attract as much attention as it should if, even in the 'Vagrant's Paradise.' Something Zuko noticed.  
"You have any idea how many lives could've been saved had you warned the Republic?" Katara was hysterical and she raised herself from her seat in the booth to look down on Wolf. "You're no better than Revan and Malak! Now I know that you're the reason Yue died after all!"  
Up until then Sokka took the abuse she handed him, but after that last comment he raised himself from his seat and met her head on. "I kept quiet because I couldn't even consider that they would turn on the Republic! Revan was a hero and my mentor!" He paused for a bit to catch his breath and his nerve. "And Yue…I…I." Sokka couldn't finish the sentence and instead looked away from Katara's eyes fighting his hardest to hold back the tears burning in his eyes.  
Katara was still angry and it impeded her from sensing the pain in Sokka's last words and confusing it with simple guilt. _The kind of guilt a murderer might have,_ she thought.  
Toph, however, felt the truth hidden in his brief words. The pain he had to suppress. _Was she that important to him? I just hope Sugar Queen can sense it too._  
After what felt like an eternity, Zuko finally broke the silence. "Listen, now's not the time or place to be having this discussion." He looked around the Cantina. "After all, we're about to have company."  
As if on cue, a young woman of about nineteen stepped into the bar with about eight other bounty hunters. He skin was a bit pale and she dressed in black leather attire that revealed several red tattoos on her belly and arms. Her hair was long and tied in a ponytail on the top of her head. On her belt she had a disruptor pistol and what looked like a curved lightsaber.  
Aang, Katara and Sokka got up from their both and joined Toph and Zuko who were already getting into their defensive stances. Sokka whispered something to them before he stood out in front of them. "Listen, I've got this place set up for a getaway, but it's not going to be pretty so brace yourselves when I give you the signal." The others immediately began to sense their surroundings and found the mines that he had placed the night before.  
S_o this is the unfinished business he had to take care of last night._ Toph thought as she smirked.

The lone bounty hunter across the cantina merely laughed silently as the solution to the mines had just walked in. _Well, this is a convenient turn of events. Now all I have to do is sit back and let the show play out for a bit._

The young woman in black, who was obviously the leader of the group, walked up to Sokka and the two were now about six feet away from each other. "Good to see you again Wolf. Did you miss me?"

**Things are really starting to heat up now, but just wait unitl the next chapter. **

**Just incase you don't remember the female bounty hunter is June, the bounty hunter from Book 1 (the girl withe the mole/fox or mole/coyote beast). I thought it'd be fun to bring her back. Oh, and the robed bounty hunter is an OC from my friend on Deviant Art, Sun-Tsu. I think I may have already mentioned this though, but just to be sure I wanted to restate it **

**Disclaimer: 'sigh' I don't own Avatar or Star Wars.**


	8. Chapter 7: Brawls and Bounty Hunters

Riddles and Reasons

Riddles and Reasons

Chapter 7:

Brawls and Bounty Hunters

Sokka just smiled as he put a hand to the back of his head. "Well obviously I did June. You're still in one piece after all. I really do have to recalibrate the targeting sensors on my ship."  
June returned his smile.  
"Charming as usual I see. It's too bad it has to be this way. I was really enjoying hunting you down this last month, but it seems that now I have to get a new hobby." With a snap of her finger the bounty hunters she came in with spread out along the cantina to get better angles and cover on their targets.  
"Just who is this broad?" Toph asked Sokka.

"Guys meet June, June the guys." June gave a brisk nod in response. "June here is one of the many colorful characters the Sith paid to hunt me down and capture and/or kill me." Sokka said in a joking manner. "Also, she's a failed Jedi Padawan, but she's actually got some decent skills on her."  
"Thank you Wolf." June replied. "You have been a difficult quarry to track, but no one ever gets away from me for very long." She unclipped her lightsaber and ignited it to reveal that it was actually a plasma whip. An exotic weapon that was difficult for even a Jedi to master. It snapped and crackled as she flicked her wrist.  
Sokka didn't seem the least bit intimidated by her weapon, however, and neither were the others. He unsheathed his black sword and held it in a defensive stance in front of himself.  
"Sorry to disappoint you June, but I'm going to be the one that got away."  
"Don't be foolish, the odds are against you. If you surrender, I promise I won't kill you and your friends will be free to go."  
"Actually the odds are against you." Zuko responded in kind.  
All four of the Jedi ignited their own lightsabers. Katara's was a single blade that blazed a deep blue. Aang's was a yellow double-bladed lightsaber that was matched his superior agility perfectly. Zuko and Toph both wielded dual lightsabers. Zuko's were a fiery orange, and Toph's were viridian, the green, silvery blades almost mirroring the color of her eyes.  
"Tfft, Jedi." June looked only slightly annoyed. "Well, at least we get a bigger pay day now." She snapped her fingers a second time, and now the all the patrons of the bar got off their tables and drew their own blasters, vibro-axes and other weapons. June cackled menacingly. "If you'd been here six hours earlier you would've seen me and my associates preparing a little get together for you."  
Sokka just smiled back. "And if you'd been here twelve hours earlier you'd have seen me booby trapping the place." He flicked his left wrist and a small, cylindrical control fell into his hand. June saw it and her eyes widened as she instantly realized what was about to happen. She tried to knock it out of his hand with her plasma whip, but he was too fast and set off all the mines simultaneously.  
There were several synchronized explosions and flashes of light that both blinded and deafened anyone in the cantina while at the same time kicking up a layer of dust and debris. Toph and the others, having been forewarned, were already expecting the explosions and blinding flashes that ensued and were only slightly disoriented. Luckily the same could not be said for June and her accomplices. Most were disoriented and firing their weapons wildly, in the vicinity of their targets, and those who were unlucky enough to be in closer proximity of the mines were out cold.  
"Move!" Sokka yelled as he rushed into the fray that was now the 'Vagrant's Paradise.' He hacked and slashed his sword along the way to the exit, dismembering and killing two of the bounty hunters who had recovered and were standing in his way. The others followed his lead and deflected any incoming fire that was directed at them.  
They were halfway to the door when Toph noticed something roll into their path right beside Sokka, hidden by the dust that the mines had lifted. "Grenade! Hit the floor!" She shoved her arms forward and with her telekinesis threw Sokka clear out of the grenade's blast radius. Unfortunately she didn't have enough time to dodge it herself and could only wrap herself in Force energy to dampen the grenade's blast. Aang, Katara and Zuko managed to barely dodge the blast, but Toph who used her evasion opportunity to save Sokka got hit hardest. She was hurled into one of the cantina's walls and hit the floor already unconscious.  
"Toph!!" Sokka screamed as he got back to his feet and rushed towards her. _No, not again!_  
Before he reached her a twisting streak of energy scorched the floor in front of him. He turned to face June who was already preparing a second strike.  
"You should pay more attention to yourself than some half pint schutta." She remarked.  
Her words sent Sokka into a furry and he lunged straight at her.  
_The fool took the bait, now I'll just snap the trap._  
June brought down her whip once more and Sokka narrowly evaded it by jumping to the side. This, however, was exactly what she was expecting, and with a flick of her wrist the plasma whip twisted, swerved, and coiled around Sokka's right wrist. The ensuing pain caused him to drop his sword, but amazingly, his hand was still attached to his arm.  
"What?! That should've cut your hand off!"  
"You'll find that I'm full of surprises," Sokka replied as he jerked his right arm up along with the plasma whip, throwing June off balance in the process. He then simultaneously drew a blaster that he had clipped on his belt and opened fire on her with his left hand, blasting her whip from her hand. June didn't give him a chance to fire again and kicked a chair that was closest to her straight at him. The chair hit his left hand and knocked the blaster from it. Now June was the only one with a weapon, her disruptor pistol, but Sokka wasn't about to give her a chance to use it. He charged at her, quickly closing the gap between the two and forcing them into hand-to-hand combat.  
Normally, Sokka would've felt bad about attacking a woman, but she gave him no room to second guess himself. June threw the first punch, which Sokka caught with his left hand. His success, however, was short lived. With a quick twist of her wrist she easily freed her hand from Sokka's grasp and immediately brought her own free left hand forward in an open palm with amazing speed. It hit Sokka square in the chest and knocked him back on his knees some four feet. If it hadn't been for the light armor he had on under his coat her blow would've knocked him out, or possibly even crushed his lungs.  
_Whoa! I've known Wookiees who didn't hit as hard as that! I have to keep on my toes if I don't want another one of those._  
Now June charged forward with incredible speed and grace that testified to her former Jedi training. She brought her right knee up to Sokka's face, it being lower since he was still on his knees. He crossed his arms and blocked her knee and then shoved her back with all the strength he could muster. This knocked her off balance and in the second it took her to recover Sokka was back on his feat. June readied herself for another attack, but when she brought down her right leg she felt excruciating pain. With all the adrenaline pumping through her and her focus on Sokka she hadn't noticed that she had shattered her own knee when she tired to knee him.  
_What?!_ She thought _How did…?_ Looking up at Sokka she noticed something she had foolishly overlooked before. Through the cuts in the coat in his right arm she saw that he had some sort of black metallic bracers on. Her eyes widened in disbelief. _There's no armor that's strong enough to stop the attacks I gave him and still be light enough for him to move so fast!_  
"Do you like them?" Sokka said as he grinned at her. He pulled back the sleeves of his black coat to reveal two black bracers of unknown metal that protected his wrists and a portion of his forearms. Their design was simple yet elegant with linear streaks running down them from the end to end, blazing a brilliant azure. "I made them myself."  
Again Sokka assumed the offensive and came down on June with a series of quick jabs and punches that she was barely able to block because of her injured leg. Finally, one of jabs caught her in the stomach and sent her into the table behind her. Angry and frustrated, June abstained from the now gone pleasure of physical combat and removed her disruptor pistol, aiming straight at Sokka's chest. Now the tables had turned yet again. At the distance the two were from each other Sokka knew he couldn't fully avoid one of her shots, and he couldn't reach her in time to stop her from shooting. Moreover, only his bracers and greaves were made of the black meteorite that could disperse energy. His light body armor wouldn't be able to hold out against her pistol and he lacked the reflexes of a Jedi to properly deflect or block more than a blast or two.  
Knowing she had the advantage June took the time to taunt her prey. "Normally I don't like to use this thing, but I'm still a damn good shot." She sighed casually. "I was hoping to take you alive, but in my condition," she nodded towards her leg, "I'll have to settle for your corpse and half of the bounty. Goodbye Wolf."  
Before she could squeeze the trigger a robbed figure came up behind her and caught her and hand along with the pistol. June was caught off guard, but she still had keen reactions and used the same momentum from where the robbed figure grabbed her to make a quick turn and slash the individual with a curved dagger she had hidden in the back of her belt. Instead of eviscerating her intended target, however, the blade of her dagger broke clean off as it hit the stranger's right flank.  
June was again stunned by what had just happened, but the robbed figure only looked down at his now tattered robes and shook his head. "You know, these were my favorite travel robes too," the man said in a voice that was altered by his helmet to sound slightly robotic, but at the same time it still exuded power and authority.  
Suddenly June came back to her senses and tried to use a quick killing blow before the stranger brought any more surprises to the table. She dropped the dagger's handle and made a fist with her free left hand, leaving her middle and index finger extended. Then she made a lighting fast jab with the same hand into the man's neck hoping to pierce his artery. The man, however, had no intention of letting her hit her mark and with surprising strength and speed he flipped her onto the floor a few feet away with her right arm.  
Again June rose to her feet despite her injury and prepared the best defensive stance she could rally. Unfortunately for her it wasn't nearly fast or good enough. The man raised his right arm with a clenched fist and with the soft sound of blow gun June fell unconscious, a small dart in her neck.  
Sokka was dumbstruck by what had happened. He thought he was a goner for sure, not that some random stranger would come in to save him. "Uh, thanks."  
The stranger just turned, pulling the now tattered robes off him as he did. Beneath them Sokka could see that this was no ordinary man, or bounty hunter to be exact. He was covered from head to toe in heavy body armor that was a shiny black, almost too shiny, but it had the marks of carbon scoring where it had taken blaster hits. It covered his entire chest and back, and extended down his legs and arms as well; large, tightly fitting and connected plates of the black material over a suit of grey underneath. His gauntlets and boots seemed out of place in a dark blue, his right wrist sporting what looked like a tool kit. Also, his helmet was black and seemed almost Mandalorian except that it wasn't as streamlined and it had mounted targeting scope that looked like an antenna. Additionally, he had a long, sleek and curved Echani Vibroblade sheathed on his back, and two Westar-12 blaster pistols at his side.  
"Oh don't thank me just yet," the bounty hunter said as he raised his right arm and the device on it at Sokka.  
Sokka realized too late what had happened and a toxic dart also caught him in the neck. He managed to pull it out, but it was no good, the poison was already in his system. All of a sudden he felt a burning sensation in his neck that started to move across his whole body that was now going numb. _Okay, this is bad, but at least it doesn't feel fatal only paralytic like…Wait! I know this toxin!_  
"P…Pelko bug poison." He managed to say as he fell to his knees and then face forward.  
"Correct," the bounty hunter answered as he turned his attention to the remaining three Jedi.  
Aang was the first to notice their new adversary. Two of June's accomplices decided to use Aang's temporary leave of attention to their advantage and fired simultaneously from two different angles. Aang didn't even bother to shift his gaze from the armored bounty hunter and easily deflected both blaster shots with both ends of his double bladed lightsaber back at the two thugs. They weren't killed, but the shot's blew away their blasters. Both decided to leave with their lives and just made a mad dash around the armored man and ran straight out the door.  
Wanting to end the fight quickly Aang launched himself at his opponent who pulled out his pair of Westar-12 blasters and began to fire at him. This didn't slow down Aang in the least since he just deflected the blasts as he gracefully twirled and spun his lightsabre in front of himself. Once he was close enough Aang acted to spare his opponent's life and aimed for his hands as targets. The bounty hunter anticipated this attack and made a quick turn to his side to use his shoulder amour as a shield. Aang's saber made contact with his adversary's shoulder, but instead of severing it his saber rebounded on the man's armor. This threw Aang off balance, an opportunity his opponent was quick to seize.  
The armored bounty hunter lunged forward in a show of speed that belied his size and grabbed Aang's saber by the handle with both hands. Both challengers were now in a deadly game of tug-of-war with the lightsaber, a game in which the bounty hunter had a clear advantage in strength over Aang. In response, the young Jedi decided to let him have his small victory and relinquished his weapon to him. Once his hands were free he then shoved them forward into his opponents chest for a close range Force push attack that sent his opponent a good ten feet back into the air. This attack, however, did little to stop the armored bounty hunter who preformed a mid-air back flip and landed on his right knee while also using his left hand to balance himself. This caused him to loosen his grip on the lightsaber. Aang sensed this and used the Force to pull his weapon out of his enemy's hands and back into his. Now he expertly twirled the lightsabre in front of himself before bringing it to his back with his knees bent slightly and his left arm extended towards the bounty hunter in a defensive and taunting stance.  
Aang was feeling confident and let a smirk form on his face. Having tasted his opponent's defenses head on he now knew what to expect for his next assault. His victory was assured, or so he thought.  
"Ready to give u…" Before Aang could even finish his sentence he felt his hands and then his entire body begin to burn and go numb. He looked down at his saber to belatedly realize that it was covered in a green clear liquid, a toxin! Now he looked at his opponent who raised an open palm to him. In it there was a broken dart that had the same green liquid oozing out of it as Aang's lightsaber.  
_He…he had this planned out from the beginning, and I fell for it!_ With these last thoughts Aang succumbed to the Pelko bug poison like Sokka.  
Katara was busy holding up four of the remaining Gamorreans in the air with her potent telekinetic abilities when she sensed that Aang had fallen. "Aang no!!" She screamed as she let the four grunts hit the floor hard and unconscious.  
Zuko had just struck down the three remaining thugs with his dual lightsabers when he heard Katara scream and rushed to aid her. Unlike Aang, Zuko was not as forgiving in his attacks and wouldn't hesitate to kill if he had to. When he did, however, he never let hate or fear influence his decision.  
Both of the Jedi were now face to face with the black armored warrior. He unsheathed his Echani vibroblade and demonstrated an impressive flurry to show his efficiency with the elegant weapon.  
Katara, however, had no intention giving him the pleasure of a duel and turned off her own lightsaber and clipped it back on her belt. She quickly got into what looked like an offensive hand-to-hand combat stance with both her knees bents slightly, one leg in front of the other. Her left arm was extended in front of her and her right arm was pulled back and slightly bent. Then as quickly as she got into the stance she brought her right arm forward as if she were striking the bounty hunter with an open palm from a distance and then made a half fist with her fingers slightly closed. He was instantly struck by on unseen power that made him lurch back and then forward abruptly and then brought him to his knees almost completely paralyzed. This same force also caused him to drop his elegant weapon.  
Zuko came at the restrained man now with both lightsabers ignited and his arms opened wide to deliver a finishing blow.  
The bounty hunter, however, had no intention of receiving that blow. Since Katara had paralyzed him the warrior never gave in to fear or panic, instead he had been analyzing his dire situation with his helmets targeting computer and looking for a window of opportunity. He found one. Although he was mostly paralyzed, he still had some slight control over his arms. It wasn't nearly enough to draw a weapon, but it was enough to find a convenient angle to ricochet a dart off of the steel bar of a turned over table. _Now I just have to time this right,_ he thought as Zuko came at him.  
Without a second to spare he twisted his right hand into a fist and fired the dart. It bounced of the pole as intended and hit Katara on her left shoulder. She instantly lost her hold on him as she fell to the floor paralyzed an unconscious. Zuko momentarily turned his attention to his fallen ally, and the once helpless bounty hunter used that moment for his benefit. He jumped up and grabbed Zuko's hands then pulled him forward while he simultaneously bringing his armored helmet down hard into Zuko's unprotected head. The resulting headbutt tore a gash on Zuko's forehead and nearly caused him to pass out. The bounty hunter, however, wasn't finished and shoved Zuko back and fired one last dart into Zuko's chest while he was still dazed and unable to properly block or evade his attack. He too fell unconscious.  
With all his adversaries were down the bounty hunter made one last scan of the area to make sure it was clear. _That was too close for comfort, but at least the job is just about ov…_ Before he could finish his thought a sharp black blade came down on him from over head. The bounty hunter barely had enough time duck and roll out of the way, picking up his own vibroblade as he did.  
Looking up he saw that his primary target was up and ready for combat in his own battle stance. He had his sword held in both hands and brought up high to the side of his face where he could strike hard and fast.  
"It looks like I underestimated you." The armored man said to Sokka. "But I am curious as to how you fought off the Pelko bug poison. I didn't think there was a living organism that could withstand it."  
Sokka just grinned at him. "That used to be the case, but I built up a partial tolerance to the toxin after having been subject to it so many times. After that all it takes is some adrenaline shots bring me right back up to 100"  
"Ha, ha, ha. You've got guts kid. Even I wouldn't have let those damn things sting me so much as to build up immunity to their poison."  
An embarrassed and annoyed look suddenly came over Sokka's face. "Well, are we going to fight or chat?"  
The bounty hunter brought his sword level with his waist and centering it with his body for maximum protection and striking possibilities. He also held it with both hands.  
For a long time neither of them moved. They analyzed each other from where they stood and prepared their respective plans of attack and the duel sequences each thought would work best against there opponent.  
Finally, they both came at each other hard and fast. Their blades clashed, parried, deflected one another until both opponents jumped back to analyze each other's attack. Neither of the two were breathing any harder than when they first began, a verification of their skills as swordsmen.  
Sokka stared down his opponent; never once taking his eyes off of his adversary's own eyes, which he could only speculate to where they were because of the man's helmet. _This guy moves insanely fast for someone who hits so hard with a blade and his defense is solid. If this keeps up he's going to eventually wear me out. I need to change my battle plan._  
At the same time, the armored bounty hunter locked his hidden eyes into his opponent's. _He lives up to his reputation as an avid swordsman. His attacks are random and difficult to predict, but he exposes himself too much at the same time. It's almost if he's trying to imitate the 7th lightsaber form, except it's nowhere near the level of a Jedi or I'd be finished. All I have to do is wait for him to make the first mistake and keep up my own defense. This will be over soon._  
Again both opponents came forward with the swords. This time, however, the bounty hunter didn't hold back his strength like he did when he first tested Sokka. His sword came down hard and Sokka managed to deflect it, but the boost to the attack's vigor threw him off balance. Now the bounty hunter came in hard with a series of thrusts. Sokka managed to block the first two thrusts, but the third slid past his defense and grazed his left shoulder. The ensuing pain caused him to drop his defense for a brief second. His enemy saw the opening and kicked Sokka in his exposed chest, sending him back into the bar. Sokka didn't make the same mistake of giving his opponent even the slightest chance to continue his assault and rolled back onto the bar counter as the bounty hunter came at him, giving Sokka the high ground and a huge advantage in the fight. Now he was bringing his sword down and across the bounty hunter's scalp and effectively broke his assault by placing him on the defensive. Unfortunately, Sokka's foe was not easily beaten and defended himself skillfully by bringing his sword up to repel every attack made against him and then sliced at Sokka's ankles. This, however, was what Sokka had been counting. He blocked his attacker's sword with his own and then shifted his weight onto his own black sword by stepping on it to restrain his opponent.  
For a moment it seemed like Sokka had the upper hand, but his opponent once against used his greater strength to his advantage and shoved his sword up like a lever, throwing Sokka off balance. Sokka recovered by cart wheeling away on the counter. His small success didn't last long as his opponent raised his right hand and fired a fiber chord whip from his gauntlet. It caught Sokka's right leg and knocked him down onto the counter. Then his opponent pulled on the whip hard and threw Sokka onto the ground some eleven feet away from the counter.  
_Time to end this._ Thought the bounty hunter. He brought his sword up high and lunged at Sokka with a powerful thrust that was aimed for a nonfatal portion of Sokka's chest.  
Luckily, Sokka recovered fast enough to bring his left arm up to block the attack while preparing his own sword for a counterattack. His enemy's blade hit his arm hard, but Sokka didn't flinch and the blade didn't penetrate his arm. Instead it slid across the outside if his arm, causing his opponent to fall forward. Now it was Sokka's turn to attack and he brought his own sword forward in single, right handed thrust. His blade came straight at the bounty hunter's face, and he in turn narrowly dodged what would've been a killing blow, escaping with only a fearsome scar on his faceplate.  
The bounty hunter stumbled back in a stupor and Sokka took the offensive once again. He aimed at his opponent's chest and charged at him in a thrust similar to the one that had been used against him just seconds ago.  
What Sokka hadn't counted on though, was that his enemy's apparent disorientation had in fact been a farce. The minute Sokka's blade would've impaled him, the bounty hunter pivoted on the tip of his right foot and made a complete 360 degree turn where he stood. This allowed him to not only dodge Sokka's thrust, but also gave him momentum to bring the hilt of his blade to the back of his foe's head. Sokka's world went black and he fell unconscious.  
It was finally over.  
Having finally claimed his victory the bounty hunter allowed himself to fall one knee while he used his own sword as a support. He was exhausted and Sokka's near fatal counterattack had done more than shake him up.  
_It can't be. I know that style of combat._  
He got up, made his way to the now unconscious Sokka and flipped him over. The bounty hunter then studied Sokka's face.  
_So, it really is him. I can't believe I didn't recognize him sooner._ The man sheathed his sword. _This changes everything. There's no way I can hand him over to the Sith now, so that only leaves me one choice._

**Chp. 7 is out and ready. This chp has a lot of the action I've been holding out on, but as the story goes on things will get even more intense. So who is the armored bounty hunter, and why is he going to spare Sokka and the Gaang? You'll just have to wait and see. I promise it'll all become clear...at the end LOL.**

**Once again any comments and constructive criticism are always welcome. Also I'd like to give thanks to my friend Sun-Tsu on DA. His help has been invaluable in getting this story off the ground.**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Avatar or Star Wars**


	9. Chapter 8: Unlikely Ally

Riddles and Reasons:

Riddles and Reasons:  
Chapter 8  
Unlikely Ally

It was cold that night, and in more ways than one. Toph waited in the same alley in which she and her best friend had first met. It seemed only right that it should be the place where they would say goodbye.  
She had on what would have passed for casual Lower City wear, complements of Sokka and his 'family.' Her garments consisted of green baggy shorts, a green and equally baggy T-shirt, a yellowish tunic that mostly covered the other two, a pair of ankle and wrist bands, and green and yellow headband. Toph preferred not to wear any shoes because in addition to being able to see the world through just the Force she also enjoyed to feel it through the vibrations she picked up through touch.  
It had already been a few hours since Toph had been waiting for Sokka. Normally she wouldn't have been so early, but she had a lot to think about. As such it was no surprise that he actually managed to sneak up on her.  
"Hey Toph!" Sokka said quite loudly.  
This caused Toph to jump up with wide eyes and a raised fist. "Sokka you jerk!"  
He burst into laughter so hard that he had to hold his sides. "I'm sorry but I couldn't help it. It's not everyday I can actually catch the 'Mighty Toph' off guard."  
Toph let her signature mischievous grin form on her face and then brought her fist down hard on Sokka's shoulder. He got knocked to the floor on his side.  
"Hey! You didn't have to take it so hard!" Sokka said as he got back on his feet while rubbing his shoulder.  
"Well now you know why no one sneaks up on me."  
"Yeah, yeah," Sokka commented as he made a grumpy face. "Just how long have you been here?" He eyed her suspiciously. "You've never been here so early before. Is everything okay?"  
Her face fell and she looked genuinely distraught. Something that was rare indeed for her.

Now Sokka was really worried.  
"Toph, what's wrong? You know you can tell me anything."  
"Sokka I…" She was having a harder time bringing the words to her mouth than she would have thought. "I'm leaving."  
"What?!" Sokka eyes grew wide with alarm and he dropped his jaw. "What do you mean you're leaving? You mean you're just leaving the Lower City for now right?" He tried to force a smile, but it only came out halfway.  
Toph looked away from him as she responded. "No. I mean I'm leaving Taris for good." She now shifted her look towards her best friend, if only for his sake. "Sokka, I've been chosen to become a Jedi."  
"What?! How?"  
"My father asked the Jedi Council for help to resolve an issue between the Nobles here on Taris, and they sent a Jedi Master. He stayed in our mansion and noticed that I had a strong affinity to the Force. He also convinced my father to allow me to be trained at a Jedi Enclave."  
"And is that what you wanted?"  
Again Toph looked away from Sokka. "I…"  
He placed his hands on her shoulders. "That's great Toph."  
She looked up at him with a look of surprise and confusion.  
"Your dream is finally coming true." He continued. "You're going to get off Taris and become a Jedi just like you always wanted. I'm so happy for you."  
Although Sokka did his best to sound happy for her, his voice was shaky, and she could tell. Moreover, he was having a hard time holding back tears, and this was also apparent to her.  
"You're lying Sokka."  
Sokka dropped the fake mood he tried to put on for her. "Listen Toph, I can't say I'm glad you're leaving, but it's your life. And as much as I would like to go with you…"  
"I tried to convince the Master to take you and the others with me, but there wasn't enough time to come scout you! I barely had enough time to sneak out tonight!" She interrupted him.  
Sokka smiled at her, but although Toph couldn't see it, she could feel he was grateful. "I know you did," he paused for a bit, "but the fact of the matter is that you got a chance for your dream to come true and the others and I didn't. Now go and make it happen."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes, and don't worry about us. We'll make our dreams of becoming Jedi come true too," he laughed, "and don't be surprised if we become fully fledged Jedi before you do. Besides, I already told you that I'm getting off this rock to go and see the galaxy; I know we'll meet each other soon enough. Just wait and see."  
Now Toph was smiling too. That's what she liked about Sokka he always found a way to make her feel better. He was sort of like the supportive older brother she never had, but that wasn't too surprising since most of the other kids at the orphanage felt the same way about him. However, sometimes she felt like he was more than that to her and every now and then she could almost swear that he felt the same way about her too.  
"Don't count on it Snoozles. With the way you sleep I'll be a Master way before you even make it to Padawan."  
An annoyed look came over his face. "Hey! I already told you that I need at least ten full hours of sleep to be at my peak, and that's incredibly hard to do with the others snoring at the orphanage."  
"Nah, that's just you hearing yourself snore Snoozles. Not them." She teased.  
Sokka was about to respond to the comment when he stopped. "Well, that would explain why they have me sleep in the closet."  
This made both of them break into laughter for a short while before an awkward silence set in. Sokka was the one to finally break it.  
"So when do you have to leave?"  
"Tomorrow night. My dad's going to be hosting a huge goodbye party too, so this will be the last time I can sneak out without him sending half the Taris Police Force after me."  
After hearing this Sokka brought his right hand up to his chin as he fell into deep thought.  
"That doesn't leave much time then."  
"Time for what?" Toph asked him with a puzzled look.  
"Oh nothing." Sokka responded with a sly grin on his face.  
"You're lying." She shot back in a sing song voice.  
"Maybe, but that's not important right now. What is important is that we have one last get together with the guys before you go." With that he took her by the hand and led her down the street towards the orphanage.  
Toph did her best to try and ignore the fact that this would probably the last time she would ever see Sokka and her other friends. Still, it didn't seem all that bad because she could feel it in his words and in his heart that he meant everything that he told her. They would meet again, it was a promise.  
"Toph!"  
Sokka's voice brought her thoughts, and then she realized he wasn't there anymore. For that matter no one else was there either; everything was dark, cold and empty.  
"Toph!"  
She tried to reach out towards the voice but all of a sudden her body felt numb.  
"Toph!"  
……………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Toph!"  
The young, blind women woke up to feel herself on a cold concrete floor with Sokka, or rather Wolf, kneeling over her.  
"Finally!" He almost yelled. "For a while there I thought I'd have to give you mouth to mouth," he said chuckling.  
Toph's expression suddenly became agitated and her eyes narrowed at where she felt his presence. "Don't even joke about it buster." She blew a few bangs out of her face. "If I so much as feel that thought come back into your empty head I'll make sure that you'll need a portable kolto tank with you for the rest of your life."  
This last comment made Sokka step back a few inches to give Toph some more room.  
It wasn't until now that Toph had remembered what had happened at the Vagrant's Paradise. Furthermore, now she also became aware of the fact that they were no longer at the cantina. From what she could feel she deduced that they were in some kind of abandoned hangar. The floor was cold and bare, there were a few empty shipping crates, and the thing she noticed most was that they were locked in a containment field and all there weapons were gone. In fact, about the only good thing she felt was that Aang, Katara and Zuko were in there with them, if that could be called 'good.'  
"Where are we?! What the heck happened?!"  
"Calm down." Sokka responded while keeping his hands up to try and calm her down. He had gotten into the habit of forgetting that she was blind to some simple gestures. "Long story short, we got caught." He responded glumly.  
"What?!"  
"Well, I'm sure you remember my old friend June."  
"The broad with the plasma whip. Kind of hard to forget."  
"You're telling me." He laughed lightly as he massaged the wrist where her whip had burned him. "Anyways, after I set off the mines and we made a break for it, we sort of ran into a road block." His expression softened. "By the way, thanks for saving me back there. It may only have been a concussion grenade, but at the distance it was from me it definitely would've given me more than a simple concussion."  
"Hey, no problem Wolf." She said as she grinned, grateful for the well-deserved praise.  
"At any rate," he continued, "that road block turned out to be another bounty hunter, but he had a lot more skill than June did."  
"He just got a lucky shot in!" Zuko responded to Sokka's comment.  
That was the first time Toph had heard any of the other's speak, and that was a bit odd considering how Katara was all over them like an overly worried mother for even the slightest injury. Upon closer inspection she found that everyone's heartbeat and breathing, with the exception of Sokka's, where a bit slower than usual. It wasn't anything potentially fatal, but it wasn't natural either.  
"What's wrong guys?" She directed her question towards the others. "You look like you came out of one of Master Dorak's history lessons."  
"We're just peachy," replied an irritated Zuko.  
Now Toph turned her questions back to Sokka since the others weren't in much of a condition to talk. "What's wrong with them?" Her tone was casual and only slightly gave off a hint of concern, although in fact she was really concerned.  
"Pelko bug poisoning."  
"That bug from Korriban?"  
"Yep. The bounty hunter used it to knock them out, but luckily it was only a mild dosage." He shook his head in a show relief. "Those bugs are natural predators of Force sensitive beings, so their toxin is exceptionally dangerous to both Jedi and Sith. It's a good thing this guy knows his toxins or even I wouldn't have survived."  
Toph's expression became perplexed as she looked at him. "You got hit too? You seem just fine to me."  
"Well I wouldn't say fine. I got one nasty hit to the back of the head, and even though I can move around my body still feels numb."  
"But that poison is still strong enough to bring down a Wookiee even if you're not a Force sensitive! If anything you should be as bad as them since you took that hit to the head as well!"  
Sokka brought his right hand up to the back of his head. "Well, I do have a tolerance to the stuff, compliments of my days in the army."  
Toph raised an eyebrow at him. "How can you possibly have a tolerance to that poison? I don't think its standard military procedure to induce soldiers to toxins until they get a handle on the stuff."  
The mercenary's face blushed slightly and a genuinely embarrassed look came over him as he looked away slightly. "Uh, no it wasn't."  
"Then how?"  
"Well, in the war the Mandalorians had the edge on us in firepower for the most part, so Revan had the soldiers train in melee and saber combat to even the odds at least in close quarters combat. To prevent any loss of life though, we used blunted blades and had them coated slightly with Pelko bug barbs. That way if you were struck with the blunt blade the barbs would still inject you with enough poison to ensure maximum pain and make that part of your body go numb. It was the perfect way to simulate dismemberment and blade wounds without actually losing your life."  
Her signature grin formed on Toph's face when she realized where the explanation was going. "Let me guess, you were one of the worst duelists in the military?"  
"Only at first! And they had me sparring against Jedi too! How was I not supposed to get an overdose to the stuff!"  
His last comment drew laughter from not only Toph, but the others as well.  
"Hey! Aren't you guys supposed to be half dead?" Sokka yelled at them.  
"Well laughter is the best medicine!" Aang shot back.  
This made Sokka's face go from embarrassed to agitated. Then he let a slight smile form on his face. "You're ones to laugh. At least I didn't get my behind royally handed to me be a non-Force user."  
His comment cut their laugher off almost immediately.  
"Really, then what're you doing in the cage with us?" Katara said with about as much venom in her voice as the dart that had stung her.  
He merely responded in his normal sarcastic way. "Yeah well I'm not a Jedi, so I have a pretty good excuse for being caught. Besides, I gave his helmet a new look before I went down, so I'm still one up on you." He smiled back at her.  
"Yes you did." A voice spoke from the shadows right before its source stepped out into the dim lighting of the hanger. It was the bounty hunter from the cantina, and his helmet did in fact have a rather vicious scar on its right side near the eye visor.  
"Glad to see you're all awake, because now we can get to business." His voice was calm and stern. In fact it almost seemed devoid of emotion, but that was just a front he put out for his enemies.  
Toph took the opportunity to study their captor. He was tall, about 6'2" from what she could tell and very strongly built. Surprisingly, however, his aura was grey, and that meant that he was neither devoted to the Light or Dark side of the Force. This was not a common feature for bounty hunters as far as Toph was concerned. All the ones she had ever had the 'pleasure' of meeting were reds.  
After sizing up the bounty hunter, she carefully felt the containment field holding imprisoning them. _Hmm, with a little time I might be able to disconnect the relay channeling the energy in the field. Once the field's down we'll have to count on surprise to bring down big boy over there._  
Sokka noticed that Toph was in deep thought, and it didn't take him long to figure out what she was thinking. He put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head as he whispered to her. "No. I've already thought of that and it won't work."  
She looked at him puzzled at the fact that he figured out what she was thinking and that he thought it was a bad idea.  
"Focus above the relays and you'll see what I mean." Sokka continued whispering to her.  
Toph did as he said and realized what he meant. The relays were connected to a detonation device that would overload the energy cage and fry them if they went out. Moreover, trying to dismantle that device telepathically was also out of the question because of its complexity and the probability that it would set off the detonation anyways.  
The bounty hunter noticed their discussion and interrupted. "Figured out my little trap huh? I thought as much, but that won't do you any good. I rigged this cage to overload the minute anyone other than myself tampers with it. Also, its Jedi proof, you can trust me on that."  
Now their captor moved closer to their electrical cage. It was then that Sokka noticed that the man was holding his black sword.  
"Hey, that's mine!" Sokka yelled as he came to his feet.  
"Yes, it is." The man said as he studied the sword in the dim lighting. "Very impressive I must say. I've seen my share of blades and weapons in my time, but nothing quite like this. It pierced through my armour as if it were simple aluminum and shows signs that it can even disperse heat and energy. And to top it all off it doesn't even have Cortosis in its composition, just like your bracers and greaves." Now he turned his attention to Sokka rather than the sword. "Indulge me. How did you create such a weapon and armor?"  
Sokka just crossed his arms and smirked. "Sorry, trade secret. I would've thought that the Great Borabus Tell would know that it'd be foolish to give away your trump cards."  
This caused Borabus to laugh. "So you figured out who I am."  
"Well it wasn't that hard. I mean not to sound so high and mighty, but your average and even above average bounty hunters could never catch me. Taking that into account, along with your own armor and weapons, how could I not recognize the best bounty hunter in the galaxy."  
"Heh, heh, you flatter me."  
"Just calling it like it is." Sokka responded.  
In the background, Katara had had enough of this scumbag get together and decided to take advantage of the fact that Borabus was distracted. If he was unfocused she could easily enter his mind and plant certain suggestions, despite the condition the Pelko bug poison had left her in.  
"You will deactivate the containment field and let us go." She said as she implanted the suggestion into the bounty hunter's mind.  
Borabus just turned his head towards her and made a mocking sound. "Ah, trying to use a Jedi Mind Trick on me, eh? You should know better than most that it only works on the weak-minded, girl. If you were anyone else, such a trick would get you hurt. You're lucky I'm in a good mood."  
"Leave her alone and let us out!" shouted Aang, coming dangerously close to the edge of the cage.  
"Or you'll what? I'm the one in charge here. You're lucky you're still alive. Any other bounty hunter would have killed you to save them the trouble. And don't think the thought hasn't crossed my mind either. You're only alive right now because I feel like it, but that can change really quickly unless you start telling me what I want to hear."  
"So why aren't we dead?" Toph casually asked him. "You obviously came for Wolf, so why keep us around?"  
"First things first Jedi." He said to Toph. "Why were you meeting?"  
"Because I called in a favor." Sokka responded.  
Borabus' gaze shifted back to Sokka. "And why is that Shadow Wolf?"  
"Simple, I have half the Sith and a handful of the best bounty hunters in the galaxy after me. I thought I could use the protection," Sokka paused to look back at his companions, "but it looks like it didn't help much." He finished off with his usual sarcastic tone of voice.  
"Jedi wouldn't waste their time protecting a merc unless he had something they wanted," Borabus countered, "something like Revan's holocron."  
This last comment caused a surprised look to come over Sokka's face if only for an instant, but he quickly composed himself. The others were also stunned to know that this bounty hunter had figured out a big part of why they were escorting Wolf.  
Sokka just narrowed his eyes at Borabus and crossed his arms over his chest. "And how do you know about it?"  
"Wolf!" Zuko yelled out to try to keep Sokka from revealing any more information.  
"He already knows," he responded without even glancing back, "and I have a feeling he's holding back more information than we are. Aren't you?" He stated rather asked. "In fact I'm willing to bet it's the reason why we're conscious and still on Nar Shaddaa, rather than unconscious and on our way to meet Lord Ozai."  
Borabus just looked Sokka back in the eye, or at least it seemed that way since his helmet concealed any facial expression or emotion. And then he laughed. "It's a nice theory kid, but I was trying to see if I could get a bonus for bringing in that holocron of yours. I just overheard you at the cantina." There was a slight pause in the conversation. "What are you hoping to get out of that holocron? Peace of mind? Or is it just curiosity pushing you forward? Either way it looks like it's more trouble than it's worth, especially to a non-Jedi."  
Sokka just grinned. "A bit of both actually. But what about you? Why do you even care about why I have it and what I tend to use it for?"  
Borabus didn't say anything. That was his way of saying he had no need to explain himself to anyone, least of all his captives.  
"From the looks of it I'd say you want in on our little escapade." The young mercenary continued.  
If he was shocked or insulted in anyway by what Sokka had just stated, Borabus gave no hint of it on the outside. The others, however, were looking at Sokka with looks of utter disbelief.  
_He's actually considering bringing this guy along?! What the hell is he thinking_?! Toph thought to herself  
"It's the only way you'll find out what we're after because even we don't know what it is" Sokka continued, "and if you don't already know what that is then I'm guessing you think it could be worth more than a few hundred thousand credits."  
"More like five hundred K actually. A full million if you're still alive when I bring you in, or at least bring in enough of you to identify along with the holocron." Borabus chuckled a bit.  
Sokka just responded with a short whistle. "Damn! A full million credits to whoever brings me in alive. Now I'm flattered." He chuckled a bit. "Heck, I knew that stunt on Korriban would set up my career, but I never thought they'd put such a huge bounty on me. Now I'm set to make a killing when this whole thing is over."  
"If you get out if it alive." Katara cut off his delusions of grandeur with her cold remark.  
Toph just gave Sokka a "ha, ha" laugh as he shot Katara a foul look.  
Sokka finally just looked back and tried to meet Borabus eye to eye one more time. "So how about it, do you want in Borabus? Or do you just want to make yourself a million?"  
Borabus made no comment and just met Sokka's intent look head on.  
All the while Katara was silently thinking how ludicrous the mercenary's plan was. _He can't possible expect for a big shot bounty hunter to pass up a million credits for some half ass wild goose chase!_  
"Very well." Borabus responded calmly. "I'm going to let you out on one condition. I join your group, no questions asked."  
"WHAT?!" All the Jedi, and nearly Sokka, cried in surprise at this most unlikely turn of events.

"Not in your life!" Katara protested. "Wolf may have taken a bad hit to his head, but we haven't taken leave of our senses."  
Borabus just crossed his arms and laughed. "Actually it's more like you have Jedi. Believe me when I say your chances are much higher with me than without."

"And why is that?" Katara continued.

"Because you'll be lucky if only the whole moon knows about you and not the entire system, especially after that little brawl in the cantina. I'd like to see you get off this rock without my help."

This hard fact caught Katara by the tongue.

"So, would you rather take your chances and try and fight your way off the system, or are you going to accept my help?"

Katara backed down a little, still glaring at him.

"That's what I thought."  
"Don't take us for fools!" Zuko yelled as he forced himself up. "You're not doing this out of kindness; you just want us to lead you to the holocron!"  
"Maybe." Borabus stated in a dull matter-of-fact voice. Suddenly he deactivated the containment field holding the group in with a remote control he had. Then he tossed Sokka his dark sword and passed Zuko a vial of the antitoxin for the Pelko bug poison. "Or maybe this job just doesn't suit me."  
Zuko just looked at him dumbfounded. _Just what the hell does that mean?!_  
Sokka, seeing the look on Zuko's face answered his question for him. "He means bringing me in and openly aligning himself with the Sith is a bad career choice. Even bounty hunters have a reputation to uphold, or in his case, honor."  
"What does a bounty hunter know about honor?" Katara continued pressing their good fortune.  
"Everything." Now it was Borabus who was answering the questions. "I'm not a righteous individual, but I do follow a strict warrior's code of honor. I don't kill or hunt for the credits; I do it to test myself, to test the limits of my abilities and my existence." He paused for a bit. "In the past I might of helped the Sith, and in fact I did, but that was when Revan led them. At least then they had some sense of honor and restraint, but now Lord Ozai is no different from Malak. He just wants to burn down the Galaxy and make it anew with the Sith as the rulers. I'm not going to do my part to make that madman's dream a reality."  
"So that's it!" Aang jumped to his feet with a look of glee on his face, despite still being under the influence of the poison. "You just took the job because you wanted to sabotage the Sith, not help them. That's why you wanted to know what we were up to, you wanted to see if we were worth helping!"  
Borabus just looked at him. "I have my reasons young Jedi, and like I said they are my own. Suffice to say that I have a debt to pay off to an old 'friend' and this seems like the best way to do it." He turned to grab the rest of the group's equipment and handed it to them.  
"And what friend would that be?" Sokka asked him.  
Borabus stayed silent for a few seconds before he answered. "Apparently someone you once knew."  
Sokka's eyes shot wide open. "Revan!"  
The bounty hunter didn't respond and instead turned towards the exit and put on a robe similar to the one he had in the cantina. "It'll be too suspicious if we're seen together now that everyone knows I'm the one who caught you." He pointed at a nearby container. "There's some disguises in there you can wear until we're off planet. I'm going to leave a false trail for anyone who may be following us. I'll meet you at your ship in one hour, don't be late." With that he left the group and disappeared into the crowded streets of Nar Shaddaa.  
The group, minus Sokka, just looked at one another, not sure what to make of there situation.  
"I don't trust him." Zuko exclaimed.  
"Yeah, Zuko's right." Katara agreed. "We don't know nearly enough about him and he let us go way too easy."  
"I don't know Katara, he seemed to be telling the truth." Aang said disagreeing with her. An unusual occurrence if there ever was one.  
"That's because he was." Toph added. "From what I could tell he was being honest with us, and his aura wasn't aligned with the Dark side."  
"But it wasn't aligned with the Light side, was it?" Katara countered.  
"Well, no, but that doesn't mean he can't be trusted. Besides S…I mean Wolf seems to know him. Right Wolf?" The blind Jedi awaited a response from the mercenary.  
Sokka, however, was lost in thought. _He owes Revan a favor? What does that mean? Did Revan send him here to keep an eye out for me and to make sure I solved the riddle of the holocron? _  
"Hello, Nar Shaddaa to Wolf!" Toph's shout brought him back out of his thoughts.  
"Sorry, what were you saying?"  
Toph just blew some of her bangs out of her face and answered with an annoyed voice. "I said that you know this guy. So he's trust worthy right?"  
He merely shrugged. "Possibly."  
"What?! You expect us to team up with a bounty hunter we barely know and was paid to capture us on the grounds that he's 'possibly' trust worthy?!" Katara was now borderline hysterical again. Sokka couldn't help but laugh at her.  
"First of all, he was paid to capture me, not you. Secondly, I may not know him personally, but his reputation precedes him."  
"And what reputation is that?" Katara continued.  
"That he doesn't kill if he can avoid it, that he's true to his word, that he doesn't particularly play nice with the Sith, and that he's the best bounty hunter since even before Calo Nord." As he finished, Sokka noted that his words did little to alleviate Katara's mood and he shook his head in annoyed disbelief. _It's like arguing with her when she was four_. "Listen, what I do know for sure is that he's a hell of a fighter and his skills are going to come in handy on this mission. Moreover, he let us go. It doesn't make any sense for someone who doesn't like the Sith to go the extra mile and get them the holocron when his job was practically done already. I say we let him tag along."  
"Well, technically this is your mission, so I guess you have the final say on it." Aang said with a slight smirk as he started to go through the container that had their disguises. The clothing was meant to make the group look more like vagabonds or thugs, in other words, the perfect disguises to get through Nar Shaddaa.  
Sokka smiled at him. This _guy may be annoying, but at least he's easy to get along with._  
Katara just crossed her arms and looked away with a frustrated look on her face.  
"Well, that settles it. Now it's time to head for the Refugee sector, I got my ship stashed the abandoned loading docks there."  
"Abandoned?" Aang asked him.  
"Yeah, they're old and not properly maintained, so your average freighters and other visitors to Nar Shaddaa don't use them. It makes them a perfect place to hide a ship while you're getting its ID signature changed."  
"You've used them before I see." Toph said grinning.  
Sokka laughed. "Hey, even the best of us need to lay low every once and awhile."

**Now we get a small glimpse as to the kind of person this new character is. There's more to him than he's letting on, but what could it be? And for that matter, who does he owe a 'dept' to? You're just going to have to keep up with the story to find out Heh, Heh.**

**Also, another of Toph's flashbacks occurs. Like I said earlier, the Sokka she knew and the Sokka (aka Wolf) she just met are not the same person. Still, are her dreams being triggered by the familiarity between the two Sokka's or is it something else?**

**Once again I'd like to give thanks to my partner in crime, Sun-tsu on DA. Without his prof reads and tips, this story would be a slightly bit messier LOL. Also, the latest character to join the group, Borabus, is his OC. Just wanted to point it out again, LOL, I don't want to be accused of stealing a friends OC afterall.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or Star Wars, otherwise I wouldn't be studying to become teacher (_yeah, it's scary, I now_)**


	10. Chapter 9: The Lunar Wolf

**Okay, first off let me apologize for the loooong hiatus there. There were many reasons behind this gap between stories, so I wont get into all of them. Suffice to say writer's block and a vacation period were some of the bigger ones. Rest assured I"m already close to finishing the next chapter and I plan to finish the entire story for sure, unless of course I die or something (hey, the universe has cruel sense of humor sometimes LOL). **

**Please comment and review to let me know how i'm doing. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I actually like the whole Q&A **

**Well, without further adue, here's chapter 9. Enjoy!**

**dislcaimer: I don't own avatar or star wars sigh**

Chapter 9  
The Lunar Wolf

After Borabus had let them go free, on the condition that he'd be allowed to join them, the group made their way to the Refugee Sector of Nar Shaddaa in their newfound disguises. The disguises were actually frayed old clothes that gave the group an appearance of beggars or vagabonds, so they blended right into the refugee crowd in Nar Shaddaa. In fact with her cap on Toph could've easily of passed for a young man. This, however, was something Sokka found out that he shouldn't mention out loud, courtesy of right-cross to the cheek.

It didn't take them long to reach the Refugee Sector since Wolf was particularly familiar with this side of the planet, although only Toph new why. When they had reached the entrance to the refugee dwellings, however, Wolf kept going and the others followed him. Pretty soon they reached what seemed like an old and somewhat crudely built landing pad for ships.

"No wonder they don't use this place much." Toph said as she felt the structure through its vibrations and her Force sight. "I doubt it could hold six more people without giving way."

"If you think that's bad just wait until you get a load of the ship." Zuko said with a half worried, half surprised look on his face.

Wolf's ship was an old, midsized Republic military freighter, although it was slightly larger than your standard model. Its normal orange red coat was long gone, but it was impossible to tell if it was from being removed or simply faded to a silvery grey by age. The ship itself had been altered by Wolf and it now had a rugged yet sleek look that made it seem more like a combat vessel than a cargo ship. There were two missile pods added to the flanks of the ship, a laser turret on top of and below the ship, and custom built engines at the ship's back.

"Hey!" Sokka yelled at Zuko. "My ship looks just fine, and she has it where it counts." He pointed at the engines. "Those babies are my own custom design. With them she can outrun any ship in the galaxy. Plus I've added some extra firepower so she can hold it's own in any dog fight."

"Well I think it she looks great." Toph said with a slight grin on her face.  
"Thanks I…" Sokka's expression suddenly became sour, "oh right. You know that's just cruel."

He pointed at his ship delete now. "I'll have you know the Lunar Wolf has become famous here in the Outer Rim."

Aang gave Sokka a weird look. "Lunar Wolf?"

"Yeah, that's her name. Every great ship has a cool name."

An annoyed expression came over Toph's face. "Oh brother."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Sokka asked Toph heatedly.

"Really? The Lunar Wolf? You're not being very original there; I mean you're alreadyknown as Shadow Wolf." She replied.

Sokka came almost face to face with Toph. "I'll have you know that everything I make and build is an extension of myself."

Katara just smiled smugly at him. "Well that would account for the lack of taste."

"Burned!" Toph added with her signature grin.  
Sokka let his hands fall to the side as he looked at the two with an annoyed expression. "Why do I even bother?"

"Why not?" A voice from behind caused the whole group to turn. It was Borabus; still wearing the robes he had put on before he left them.

"You give up too easily kid."

"Well it isn't life and death battle now, is it?" Sokka said sarcastically.

Borabus just walked up to and then past him "No, but it is a matter of dignity. A man's ship is his livelihood after all." He turned to face Sokka. "And this one is surprisingly well crafted for what used to be a simple short-haul military freighter."

"Thank you." Sokka stressed every word with a triumphant look on his face. "You see, he knows what counts."

"Though, it wouldn't hurt to take better care of it; your turrets could use some aligning from the looks of it." The bounty hunter added.

Now Sokka's triumphant look was once again replaced by a defeated one while Toph snickered behind him.

"Anyways kid, you mind telling your co-pilot to shut off the automated defense system. I couldn't get close enough to board your ship without getting fried or at least destroying part of your ship."

This caused Sokka to laugh and shake his head. "Well you didn't think it would be that easy did you?" He then pulled out a communicator from his right hand pocket at spoke into it.

"HK, you can stand down now. We're in good company."

A voice responded over the static on the communicator. "Statement: Understood master. Defensive systems will be deactivated momentarily. I'll open the cargo bay doors for you."

"We'll be right up."

Not two seconds after the communication was over did the cargo bay doors on the ship's rear side opened up and extended a boarding ramp wide enough to accommodate an average sized military vehicle.

The group moved forward and entered the Lunar Wolf. Aang was the first to speak up.

"Whoa! You have your own swoop bike!" He said pointing at a black swoop bike with blue streaks adorning its sides and middle.

"Sure do." Sokka responded. "When jobs are scarce I like to make a few credits racing on the circuit. Plus, there are few things in life that feel as exhilarating as letting the galaxy and all your worries disappear in a blur of speed."

"Yeah, he can relate." Zuko added with a smile as he recollected one of the many times Aang showed off his speed for the younglings and the other Jedi.

"Too bad you don't have a maid." Katara said as she surveyed the cargo hold that was once used to transport soldiers and vehicles across battlefields. It now held the swoop bike, a workbench, what looked like a small training platform, and a ton of clutter and tools all over the floors and wall. On the far side there was a large rectangular window that revealed a smaller room that was obviously an infirmary judging from the medical bed and other medicinal supplies and tools. The infirmary seemed to be the only neatly kept area in the ship.

"From the looks of it I'd say you'd be right at home with the Gamorreans we left behind at the cantina."

Toph just smiled, but not at Katara's jest. "I don't know Katara, this place has a homely feel to it."

"Well of course you'd say that Toph. Your room at the enclave was just messy as this place." Katara countered.

"Statement: That is most incorrect meat bag. The Lunar Wolf is not 'messy.' The master merely prefers to add a more personal atmosphere to his humble abode."

The group looked up the head of a metal ladder and the door that led to the upper level of the ship to identify the source of the voice. There they saw a rusty orange colored protocol droid whose design seemed based somewhat on the human skeletal system. His plating however did seem pretty thick and hardened for a simple protocol droid, and he stood about as tall as Borabus. Additionally he carried a carbine rifle on his right hand.  
Sokka looked up and waved at the droid. "Guys, I'd like you to meet HK-45. My co-pilot and partner in crime, uh, figuratively speaking if course."

"Jovial Statement: Greetings meat bags." The droid said introducing himself to the others in an odd, cheerful yet robotic voice. He then climbed down to meet them. "I am personal assistance droid HK-45 at your service."

"Uh, hello." Aang replied with a confused smile on his face.

"Meat bags?" Katara asked Sokka. "Just what kind of droid is this?" She said pointing to HK.

"Irritated statement," The droid responded as he replied in an aggravated tone. "I believe I just answered that meat bag. I am a personal assistance droid."

Sokka had to put his hand to his mouth to keep from bursting out with laughter. "HK is one of a kind, or at least an exceptionally rare model. We ran into each other not too long after I left the army. He was trying to get sold off to the right customer when I found him on Tatooine."

"What do you mean trying?" Zuko asked him.

"Well, you see, HK is the most loyal pal you could hope to find traversing the galaxy, but he has to make sure you're worth his 'services.'"

"A droid that picks out its own owner?" Now Zuko was really confused.

"Explanatory Statement," the droid began to clarify. "You see meat bag, a droid of my abilities should not be squandered on menial tasks. That is why I closely examined every potential customer to walk into the poor excuse of shop I ended up in."

Aang decided to ask the next question. "Then why'd you end up picking Wolf?"

"Explanatory Statement: I could see that Master was a seasoned warrior, and he knew that I was 'hiding' my true value from all the other potential customers. The rest just fit into place."

"So just what are you good for?" Toph asked him with a firm and commanding tone of voice, and a rock hard yet casual posture.

HK seemed to study her before he responded. "Statement: My abilities are many and include, but are not limited to, anything from translation to termination, Jedi."

The others were a bit surprised by the droids 'abilities,' but Sokka was more impressed by the fact that HK had referred to Toph as 'Jedi' rather than 'meat bag.'

"Well that's a first. You must've really made an impression. HK doesn't usually refer to newcomers as anything other than 'meat bag.'"

Katara just looked at Sokka incredulously. "Did it just say 'termination'?"

Sokka casually raised his left eyebrow as he answered. "Yeah. What did you think HK stood for? He's an assassin droid, a rare Hunter Killer model."

"WHAT?!"

"Geeze, calm down will you. You'll live longer." Sokka grinned. "Yeah so he's an assassin droid, but that doesn't mean I sent him on any 'hits.'"

"Disheartened Statement: Yes, I'm afraid it's true. The Master prefers for me to guard the ship or provide support in combat situations. Rectifying Statement: That is not to say that I am not grateful for Master's companionship and regular measure of combat, I'd just wish he'd use my abilities to their fullest extent."

"Maybe someday HK, maybe someday." Sokka said as he walked up and patted the droids shoulder as if he were an old drinking buddy. He then turned to the others, who all had semi-worried looks on their faces, with the exceptions of Toph and Borabus. "Well, how about a tour of the rest of the ship?"

"Sounds good." Toph voiced as she followed Sokka up the ladder to the next level of the ship.

The others followed soon after, although they took care to avoid HK by a fair distance. Borabus, however, just walked right past the droid like Toph had. HK took notice and kept an even closer eye on him than he had the others.

The next level up in the ship was nearly twice as large as the cargo hold. When the group got off the ladder they found themselves in what appeared to be a small rec room. There was a 6ft long holo table in the centre that could be used either to view 3-D maps or simply play games. From the looks of the crusty food and unknown brownish sauce though, it also doubled as a dinner table. In the corner next to the hallway that lead to the cockpit there was also a cooking area that looked even worse off than the holo table. There were pots and pans that had been left out for days with partial scraps of meat still in them.

"Well this is the rec room/kitchen area." Sokka explained to the group.

"Yeah, the week old food gave that one away." Zuko explained holding his nose.

Sokka just turned to him. "Actually it's from last night; my own homemade meat sauce. You should try it sometime."

"I think I'll pass."

"Diddo on that." Toph added.

"You guys don't know what you're missing." Sokka said in a slightly irritated voice.

"And we're thankful for it." Toph laughed slightly.

"Anyways," Sokka continued, "as you can see that hall by the kitchen area leads to the cockpit, and back at the other end are bunks."

Katara moved forward to where the bunks were located. "Well since we're going to be practically 'living' here, we might as well check out the beds." She opened the door to find an even greater mess than what they had just seen so far. "You actually expect us to sleep here?!" She said pointing into the room.

Inside the room were twelve military style beds along the walls, six on each side. The beds were small and made to accommodate only one person at a time, but they didn't look too uncomfortable. What really got under Katara's skin though were all the dirty laundry and other junk laying about the room. There were old shirts, pants, and even underwear all over the place. Moreover there were also tools and weapons of all kinds lying about. It seemed as though Wolf had taken the time to clean and modify his weapons right before bed and left the mess for another day. Adding to this unhygienic atmosphere was also a slight aroma of sweat that emanated from Wolf's laundry. Clearly this was what you'd call a 'man's' bedroom.

"What?" Sokka shrugged not seeing any problem with the sleeping accommodations.

Aang walked up beside Katara to get a better look at the room. "I guess assassin droids aren't really useful for maid duties."

"Threatening Statement," Aang jumped up slightly as he and the others turned to see HK not four feet from where they were just standing. "Perhaps you'd like to see what assassin droids are useful for meat bag."

Sokka came between Aang and HK. "Calm down HK, he was just joking."

"Statement: Very well Master, but should they belittle my abilities one more time I shall find it necessary to give them a proper demonstration."

"Fair enough," Sokka responded to the droid, and then made his way to the front of the ship and to the cockpit. "Well, time for the grand finale."

"This ought to be good." Toph snickered.

In fact it was good. The ships cockpit was actually a bit spacey, and could easily accommodate the pilot and two others in the laser turret control stations behind the ships main controls. Additionally, there were two small beds adjacent to the laser turret stations, most likely for the captain and co-pilot to rest in. What was really amazing, however, was how the ship could be piloted. Instead of your basic throttle and mundane button control console the pilot's seat looked more like the driver's seat of a swoop bike. It had two throttle handle bars that could be pivoted at 360 degree angles to steer the ship as well as accelerate and fire the ships main guns.

"Now that's original." Zuko said clearly impressed by the ship's controls, or at the very least surprised.

Sokka just smirked. "Thanks. I retrofitted an old swoop bikes controls into the ships navigation system. It took months to calibrate the controls and make sure the computer could keep up with my response time, but it was worth it. Now I could practically make the Lunar Wolf dance if I wanted it too."

"Alright, so now that we've had the grand tour can we get down to business?" Katara voiced in a cold fashion. "Where's that holocron we've heard so much about?"

"Right behind you."

Katara turned to find that HK had once again managed to sneak up on them. _How does he do that? I should be able to sense him a mile away?_ She thought.

Sokka motioned for the droid. "HK, if you would please."

"Compliant Statement: Very well Master." HK's armoured chest plate opened up to reveal a small hidden compartment that held within it a small black and red pyramid shaped object. The droid then proceeded to remove the object with his free left hand and handed it to Sokka.

"Thanks for looking out for it HK."

"Jovial Statement: Always a pleasure to serve Master."

Everyone gathered around to look at the miniscule object which had been the cause of so much trouble.

Zuko was the first to speak up. "So, this is Revan's holocron."

"Yeah, and it's the reason why I've been handed a death sentence." Sokka added glumly.

"Rectifying Statement: That is not true Master. You've merely been marked for capture. Moreover it is more than likely that you will be slowly and brutally tortured by the Sith before you are killed. A death sentence would be swift and clean, therefore it is technically not a 'death sentence."

"Heh, you sure now how to lighten the mood Rusty." Toph added  
The droid just looked at her with a seemingly perplexed look, despite the fact that its face was motionless.

"So now we head to Dantooine right? But what happens then?" She continued.

"That's a good question, and frankly I don't know for sure." Sokka answered.

"That makes sense." Katara laughed.

He just answered with an angry stare before he turned his attention back to the rest of the group. "Well, last time this thing gave me a vision to Dantooine, so I figure once we reach the ruins where the Star Map is located then it should point us in the right direction. I think."

"That's not a lot to go on." Zuko commented.

"I know, but right now it's all we got. So unless you guys have any better ideas there's not much else to do."

The Jedi seemed to contemplate this for a short while, until Katara spoke up.

"Not necessarily." All eyes shifted to her. "You said that it was genetically encoded to you, but maybe all it needs is the proper stimulus."

Sokka just raised his left eyebrow at this. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that I may be able to unlock it with the use of the Force."

"It stands to reason." Zuko added crossing his arms. "Holocrons need Force users to be activated. Maybe it's just your marginal Force that's failing to fully activate it."

The young mercenaries face grew solemn. _Heh, story of my life. The marginal Force user._

He then handed the holocron over to Katara. "Fine, let's see a Jedi Knight try."

She in turn just smirked triumphantly as he took it in her hand. "This shouldn't be too hard, I am Jedi Consular after all," she said in a smug tone.

Sokka rolled his eyes. He knew that Jedi Consulars were the most adept Jedi at commanding the Force and understanding it. In many ways they were the far seers and wise men of the Jedi Order.

Katara let the holocron rest on her open left palm as she closed her eyes in concentration. Slowly she brought her right hand over the pyramid shaped device and clasped it tightly in both hands. The holocron began to pulse and glow gently, and for a while it seemed like it was working. Suddenly, however, Katara fell back as if someone had punched her in the face and the holocron flew out of her hands and back to a surprised Sokka's.

Aang quickly rushed over to her side and helped her up. "Katara, are you alright?! What the heck just happened?!"

She brought her right hand up to her forehead and groaned. "I-I'm not too sure. It was like I hit some invisible wall or something. Sort of like when you try to look into the mind of Jedi and you're forced out."

"Are you saying this thing is alive?!" Sokka asked her with his eyes wide, thrusting the holocron out to an arm's length).

The Jedi shook her head. "No, not really. It's more like an imprint of an incredibly powerful Jedi was left behind to protect it."

"You mean Revan." Sokka finished for her.

She nodded. "If I had to guess, yes, it would be Revan." She paused a bit before continuing. "Looks like you were right about it being encoded to you, but I don't think it's encoded genetically. Rather, it seems to recognize your Force aura, despite how weak it may be."

"How's that even possible Sugar Queen?" Toph asked.

"I'm not sure. I've never heard of anything like this before."

"I have." Sokka stated matter-of-factly. "The builders of the Star Forge and the Star Maps, the Rakata, were an advanced civilization whose technology was based on the Force."

"And you know this how?" Zuko asked rather suspicious of Sokka's knowledge.

"Like I said, I kept track of Revan's earlier journeys, and this was something that was mentioned in his notes before he had me destroy them. But that's not the point. The point is that it makes sense that the Rakata had ways to distinguish individuals by through the Force. Sort of like a personal key code. It also stands to reason that Revan may have made this holocron from studying their technology."

Toph let a smile of excitement form on her face. "So that could also mean that other Rakaka, or whatever their name was, technology like the Star Maps might affect it."

"One would think." Sokka said smiling back.

"Well, then what are we waiting for? Let's see what your ship can do Wolf!" Aang said with equal excitement.

At first Sokka thought that Aang's optimistic attitude would get under his skin, but he had to admit that the young Jedi's personality was starting to grow on him.

"Right!" Sokka then jumped in to the pilot's seat and pushed a few buttons that began the ship's launch sequence. "Sit back and enjoy the ride guys! We're off!"

Meanwhile in a star system on the outskirts of Republic Space the Sith flagship, the Phoenix, moved silently across the darkness of space while surrounded by the bulk of the Sith armada.

The Phoenix was one of the few capital ships that had survived the final battle of the Jedi Civil War over the planet of Lehon. It was also one of the most powerful ships constructed by the dreaded Star Forge, and it served as the base of operations for the self appointed Dark Lord Ozai.

Aboard the ship the bridge's doors opened up and Azula and her two subordinates, Mai and Ty Lee, entered the room. They followed the path straight from the doors to the top deck of the bridge, which was flanked by Sith soldiers, technicians, and helmsmen carrying about their duties without the slightest hint of having noticed the three.

As they approached the throne all three of the Sith got down one knee as a show of respect, and fear, to the Dark Lord.

"Rise." Ozai spoke in a low but powerful voice.

The three stood up and now faced the Dark Lord directly.

"You summoned us Father?" Azula asked in a firm tone of voice.

"Yes. I have a new mission for you. Our sources inform me that the insect that eluded you on Korriban has allied himself with the Jedi. I want you to find him and bring him back to me with whatever it is that he discovered on Korriban."

"And what of the 'setbacks' we endured on Corellia and the other areas we sent our assassins to? Clearly someone is trying to sabotage our efforts at destabilizing the Republic. Wouldn't it be more prudent to use our talents there?"

Ozai's look became stern. "No it would not. The loss of our assassins was a minor setback. It is obvious that we have traitors looking to usurp my dominance over the Sith in our ranks, but this is nothing new and they will inevitably meet the same fate as all the other traitors. The spy that infiltrated the academy on Korriban is a much greater threat."

Azula raised an eyebrow in a confused gesture. True she wanted revenge on the fool who had humiliated her by escaping, but that would have its time and place. By all accounts he seemed like less of a threat.

Sensing his daughter and apprentice's confusion Ozai felt that it would be best to inform her of the situation in full.

"The spy from Korriban has received considerable attention from the Jedi and now has four Knights serving as his protection. This, however, is not what concerns me. I've felt a great disturbance in the Force ever since that spy first escaped Korriban. He is a shadow of a greater threat that has yet to reveal itself, and we must know what that threat is."

"Ah, I see Master. That is why the bounty on his head was so enticing."

The Dark Lord smiled coldly. "Yes my dear." His look now became a scowl. "But it seems we may have underestimated this individual and his Jedi protectors. Clearly no bounty hunter can give us what we want, so know it falls to you."

His apprentice gave him a curt bow. "As you command Master. We shall see to it personally that he is brought before you alive, but otherwise unwell." She grinned maliciously.  
Ozai laughed evilly. "So as long as he can talk and won't die before I get what I need from him you may do as you please."

"And what would you have me do about his companions?"

A solemn look came over the Dark Lord's face. "One of the Jedi accompanying our mark is none other than your brother."

"I see." Azula smiled maliciously once again. "Rest assured Father that there will be no survivors."

Ozai grinned and nodded his approval.


	11. Chapter 10: Survival

**Hi again! Sorry for another long hiatus, but to make up for it I got two chapters in a row done! I know I said they were alread almost done a while back, trouble was I went in and kept changing stuff over an over because I thought I could do better LoL. Well I"ll let you guys decide how well I did**

Well as the title says this chapter deals with surviving since it's looking at it from several different fronts including: The people of Dantooine, Sokka and Yue, and the big fight between Sokka and Aang.  
Not sure I did as good a job with this fight scene as I did with Borabus and Sokka's fight, but I think it'll suffice to say the least

Comments both good and bad are always welcome, so if you liked it, hated it, or saw some mistakes please let me know! : ) Also, I love Q&A so dont hesitate to ask anything. Somethings I wont give away because it'd ruin the story though.

Once again, I dont own Avatar or Star Wars, I just thought it'd be fun to mix the two and throw in some Tokka.

PS  
Oh yeah, you can blame hurricane Ike for making these so late too. I lost power in my house for over a week and couldnt log on : P

Riddles and Reasons

Chapter 10

Survival

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The Lunar Wolf docked in small Khoonda space port on Dantooine a few days after its departure from Nar Shaddaa. The space port itself was actually a personal hanger that originally belonged to the rich Matale family that had been either killed or fled when the Sith conquered Dantooine. Really it was more of an open garage surrounded by four walls and no ceiling. Additionally, the new headquarters for the fragile new government in Dantooine, Khoonda, was also the former Matale mansion.

Once the ship had landed the group of seven, including HK and Borabus disembarked. Sokka had on his same dark coat and dark, light armor from Nar Shaddaa. Toph and the others had also used the same garments they had on from when they first arrived there. Borabus hadn't taken off his armor even once since they had met him and no one was particularly keen to ask him why.

As they made their way to the main settlement Sokka took the time to go over the plan with the group one more time. "Okay, so we're clear on this. We're posing as salvagers, we investigate the ruins, we dig around, we hopefully find the next clue to unlocking the holocron, and we leave. Right, everyone got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it." A thoroughly annoyed Toph responded irritably; it was at least the fourteenth time he'd gone over the plan with them after all. "Geeze, I don't know what the big deal is Snoozles. It's not like the Sith know we're headed there, and the worst case scenario we run into a few Kinrath Spiders or rabid Kath Hounds. No biggie." Snoozles was the new nickname Toph had given him since she found Sokkas wasn't much of a morning person. She had to smash him into the ceiling of Lunar Wolf and back down on the floor to wake him up.

"Doesn't hurt to be sure." He grinned back at her, and then with a more solemn looked turned his attention to Aang. Up until they left Nar Shaddaa he always worried that Toph would be the one to do something reckless that might break their cover, but now it was Aang who had him worried. The young and usually cheerful Jedi was finding it more difficult to return to the planet than any of the others, and that was understandable. Toph had told him that Aang's former Master and mentor had been personally slain by Malak when the Enclave fell. Morever, Aang saw it all happen and was almost killed himself. She said it drove him the closest that he's ever been to falling to the Dark Side. Knowing this Sokka could understand why Aang would be furious to learn that the locals were allowing for the plundering of the Enclave that was not only his first home, but also the final resting place of his Master.

Again Sokka felt compelled to remind the group to keep their identities a secret. "Remember guys, Jedi aren't exactly welcome here anymore and there's going to be some things going on here that you're not going to like."

"Pfft," was Aang's only response.

"Listen Aang." Sokka spoke to him. "I know it doesn't feel right to just stand by as salvagers plunder the Enclave, but we just can't afford to reveal ourselves. Especially since the locals blame the Jedi for what Malak and the Sith did to them two years ago."

Aang suddenly became furious. "Of course if doesn't feel right! That's because it isn't!" He yelled at Sokka. "They have no right! That's our home and heritage they're stealing! And worse they blame the Jedi for there problems now! Don't they realize it was the Sith who bombed the planet and killed all those people and not us?!"

Sokka just close his eyes and exhaled slowly as he reopened them. Luckily there was no one around to overhear their conversation. "That's one thing you're going to have to get used to buddy. The Outer Rim is full of people who think the Republic as well as the Jedi have abandoned them. Heck, to most people Jedi are the same as Sith and for good reason."

"And what is that reason?!" Aang responded with anger still in his voice.

"Because the Revan and Malak were once Jedi."

This last comment hit home for Aang. He just looked away when he realized what Wolf was getting at.

"Remember, Revan and Malak were the heroes of the Mandalorian War. They saved the Republic and countless lives, but then they turned and became the conquerors themselves." As Sokka spoke it became obvious to the others that he too harbored similar sentiments of betrayal like the people of Dantooine did, or at least he did at once time. "I mean if you can't trust the best of the Jedi, then who can you trust? It took even me a while to forgive and forget."

Aang just crossed his arms and continued to look away. Katara placed a hand on his shoulder to ease his mood, even if just a little.

Zuko broke the uneasy silence. "Well then, let's get going then. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can leave."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

A few minutes later the group entered Khoonda. The building was large and luxurious at one time, but now it showed signs that it had been crudely rebuilt. Some of the durasteel doors were wedged shut by either rust or malfunction, a good portion of the ceiling and even some of the walls had been patched up with used durasteel, and several of the droids in the building were offline or wrecked. Also, the local militia that served as both the military and police force of Dantooine were poorly equipped with old and used blasters and equipment. About the only thing consistent about them was their brown and ragged uniforms, which although efficient still seemed terribly worn out.

As Sokka went in to register the ship with the local authorities he was informed that they would have to be personally cleared by the local Administrator before they could venture around Dantooine.

"Wow," Katara said in a soft voice as they made their way down the hall to the Administrator's office. "This place sure has changed since we left. It seems so tense here now. Before it was so peaceful you could meditate in the open fields without the slightest worry."

"Survival has a way of changing perspectives." Sokka stated in a casual voice.

Katara's expression became sour as she looked at Wolf. "I suppose you'd know. You seem to survive just about everything the galaxy throws at you. If only the same could be said about those you work with."

Sokka stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face Katara. For a while it looked like he was struggling with a comeback, but he finally just turned and continued walking

The group entered the central room in Khoonda. It seemed to be a personal study at one time and even had two small elevated plots where trees were still growing indoors. Near the back center portion of the room there was an aged lady of about fifty some years standing behind a grey durasteel desk. Her hair was tied in small bun and was a mix of black and grey. The woman's face was only slightly wrinkled but commanded a firm and elegant posture. It was apparent that in her prime she must've been rather stunning.

"Hello and welcome to Khoonda. I am Administrator Terena Adare." She greeted them.

"Hello and thank you." Sokka said as he and the other's bowed slightly. "My name is Samuel Olan, and this is my crew," he gestured at the others. "We're here on an archeological survey of the several ruins here on Dantooine."

"Salvagers then." She responded with a monotonous voice.

"Well, in a manner of speaking, yes." Sokka confirmed with a rather embarrassed look.

The Administrator just eyed the group with neither suspicion nor trust on her face. "Very well, from the looks of you I can see you're a capable bunch so I will allow you entry into the remains of the Jedi Enclave as well as the ancient ruins here on Dantooine. First, however, there is the two hundred credit fee all salvagers must pay before being allowed entry."

"So we have to pay to plunder Jedi property? The Enclave here never belonged to the Dantooine government." Aang stated heatedly.

Fortunately the Administrator mistook his anger for that of your average salvager who hated to pay the fee, rather than a Jedi trying to protect his heritage. "Let me make two things perfectly clear. Foremost, I don't agree with your plundering, but I will allow it since your stay will help sustain our people. And secondly, once you've stepped into those ruins you are on you own. If you get lost, injured or killed, no attempt will be made to find you. We are not responsible for anything that goes on in there."

"We understand." Sokka intervened before Aang could argue further. "And we accept those terms. He then took out the credits from one of his coat's inner pockets and handed them to the administrator.

"Very well. I'll send word to the militia stationed at the ruins that you are to be allowed access. Thank you and good bye." She then waved them out of the room and the group left.

Soon they had exited Khoonda and were making their way to the Rakata ruins.

"Talk about a warm welcome." Toph stated sarcastically as soon as they were out of anyone's listening range.

"Yeah." Katara agreed. "But I still can't believe that they're actually exploiting the enclave ruins for their own gain."

"To be honest, it felt reassuring to know that not all the people here approve of the so called 'salvaging." Sokka said.

"I bet you'd feel that way." Katara stated coldly.

Sokka turned to face her one more. "Listen, I don't like what they're doing here either but these people are hanging on by a thread. Sure they can farm their own food, but getting equipment, medicine and other necessities would be impossible if not for the extra credits the salvagers bring in." He paused for a bit to collect his thoughts. "When you're pushed to the limit morality tends to take a back seat. You have to do what you have to in order to survive."

Katara understood what he meant, but it only served to aggravate her. "Is that what you thought when you left Yue to die?"

Again Sokka looked like he was ready to argue some more, but at the last minute he just looked away in an uncomfortable silence.

"I thought as much," Katara continued. The scorn was evident in her voice.

"Enough already!" Toph cut in. As usual her unique abilities allowed her to sense what Katara was ignoring; that Sokka was in as much pain as her over the loss of Yue.

Katara just stared at her friend in utter disbelief. "Toph, how can you defend him?!"

"Because the idiot won't stand up for himself, and more importantly, because he's a good person."

"You barely even know him Toph! How can you possibly trust him?!"

"Bec…" Toph was suddenly stopped by Sokka's arm on her shoulder.

"Thanks Toph, but its okay. You don't have to defend me." He shifted his gaze back to Katara now. "I've done thing's I haven't been particularly proud of, but leaving Yue to die to save myself wasn't one of them."

For some reason unknown to her Katara found truth to his words and decided not to press the matter further. Besides she could tell that if it went on any longer she'd probably end up having to take Toph head on in an argument, something that past experiences showed her that she could never win. Instead she just crossed her arms and looked away.

_Why does Toph trust him so much?! It's not like her to take to someone so easily. Heck it took almost a year for her to warm up to Aang and me. In any case I better watch out for her._

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Half an hour later the group had nearly reached the ruins when they encountered a crowd of thuggish looking salvagers. The salvagers had ragged clothes on along with bandage wraps, bandana face masks, and even ragged turbans. If anything they reminded Sokka of the Sand people of Tatooine except that these guys were definitely human and probably more trouble than they were worth.

These suspicions were confirmed when the salvagers looked up from the recently plundered loot they had managed to bring out of the Jedi enclave. In total there were twelve of them, so they probably figured they had the advantage in numbers when they made their move.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" One of the twelve asked his fellow salvagers. From the sound of his voice he seemed to be in his early to mid twenties. "It looks like we have some competition moving in on our turf boys."

Slowly the salvagers began to surround the group in a semicircle, most likely trying to intimidate them.

A different salvager came up to them next. "If you know what's good for you you'll just turn around and get off world fast." He seemed to be about the same age as his the first salvager, although his voice seemed awfully hoarse.

The same man eyed Toph in an intrusive manner with his eyes practically crawling all over her. Sokka noticed this and he could feel anger growing inside of him.

_If this guy tries anything it'll be the last thing he ever does!_ Sokka thought to himself.

"Of course," the salvager continued as he stepped closer to Toph, "I'm sure we could come up with a compromise if…agh!"

The poor bastard never got to finish his sentence. In bad move he actually tried to brush some of bangs out of her face. Toph, however, didn't much like this and she caught his arm before Sokka could slice it off, and with a quick twist and a loud snap brought him down to his knees crying in pain.

His friends moved to help them and were about ready to draw their blasters when Sokka unsheathed his dark blade and brought it to the neck of the nearest salvager. This and Borabus' lighting quick draw of his twin blasters stopped the salvagers dead in their tracks.

Aang, Katara, and Zuko, who didn't have their light sabers with them, pulled out the weapons Sokka had lent them for the trip. Aang had a double ended baton that was as long as his light saber would have been, and it even conducted electricity for paralyzing his enemies. Both Katara and Zuko had vibro blades to mimic their saber styles of combat. Katara had a single vibroblade while Zuko carried a balanced pair.

HK, who had his carbine rifle at the ready since before Toph broke the salvagers arm, broke the short silence. "Statement: They appear to be surprised by our combat expertise Master. Shall I shoot them now?"

This last statement caused a few of the salvagers to start freaking out.

"Nah," Sokka responded, "I'm sure these guys were just about to kindly give us a souvenir or two before they packed up and got off world. Isn't that right fellas?"

"Y-yeah." One of them managed to blurt out. "We got a ton of good stuff from the Jedi Enclave. You guys are welcome to it," he said while pointing to the items they had been huddled over just a short while ago.

"How sweet of you," Toph grinned slightly as she finally let go of the broken arm of the salvager that tried to get fresh with her. The man cradled his broken arm and ran away looking half scared to death.

Sokka couldn't help but laugh. "Consider yourself lucky pal. She may have broken you arm, but at least I didn't slice it clean off."

Toph's grin grew even wider as she heard this.

"We'll just be leaving as soon as the boss and the others get back from that garden in the lower levels of the enclave." One of the salvagers said as he helped his wounded buddy with his arm.

The salvager's words caused Aang to become infuriated. He suddenly came up face to face with the salvager. "What garden?! The one in the lowest level of the Enclave?!"

"That's the one," the terrified salvager confirmed. "We got in a few days ago, but we couldn't get far because of the wildlife that had moved in, until yesterday that is. The boss is their getting the remains of some dead Jedi down there. He says collectors would pay big money for an authentic Jedi corpse."

Suddenly something inside Aang snapped. He grabbed the man by the robes in his chest and was about to strike him with the electrically charged baton when Katara grabbed his arm.

"Aang!! Calm down!"

For a second it seemed like Aang didn't even hear her, but then he slowly began to lower his weapon and finally let the terrified salvager drop to the floor. The others took off running as soon as their companion had been released, and he didn't waste anytime catching up.

Aang, however, still looked furious and took off running in the direction of the Jedi Enclave at pace that would give a swoop-bike jockey a run for their money. The others could only try to keep up with him as he stormed off.

"No! Aang wait!" A terrified Katara called out to her best friend.

"This isn't good." Toph said sounding genuinely worried for the first time since Sokka had met her on Nar Shaddaa. "Twinkle Toes isn't thinking straight. I haven't seen him this mad since…since his Master was killed."

Sokka pieced together what had just happened with what Toph had told him earlier about Aang's Master. "So the Jedi Remains in the Enclave, they…"

"Belong to Master Gyatso." A worried Katara finished for him. "If we don't do something he might lose himself again."

"Okay then. Let's head to the Enclave," Sokka said as he turned to face HK. "HK, I need you to go ahead and scout out the Rakata ruins ahead of us. We'll meet up with you as soon as we've gotten Aang."

"Statement: Understood Master. I shall secure the ruins until your arrival." With that the droid took off in a surprisingly fast sprint towards the ruins.

Katara just stood where she was in disbelief. _I didn't think he'd change his mind so casually, I mean he barely knows Aang and he's already postponing the mission to help him. Maybe he's not as heartless as I thought._

"Okay," Sokka's words brought Katara out of her thoughts, "I don't now the layout of the Jedi Enclave here, so it'll be better if you take point Katara."

"What?!" Wolf placing her in charge of the mission was the last thing Katara had expected.

"You know the Enclave and Aang better than anyone here I think. If anyone can reason with Aang before he goes completely crazy, and without us getting us killed in the process, it's you. So lead the way."

Katara let the surprise fade from her face and replaced it with a stern look of purpose. "Right. Follow me."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

It didn't take the group long to find the Jedi Enclave since the ruins were only a few miles away, but from the looks of the terrified salvagers camped outside the Enclave, it looked like Aang had long since passed through. The group forewent the formal introductions and headed straight for the entrance to the lower portions of the Enclave.

The Enclave itself was nearly three times the size Khoonda, and that was only from the first floor. Its structure and architecture slightly resembled the remodeled government center except that it was in ruins. The upper level was completely devastated by Sith bombardment during the Jedi Civil War and it was inaccessible. Fortunately the lower levels were still intact, but dangerously unstable.

"You sure this is safe?" Sokka asked Toph as they started to descend down the hall that was the passage to the second lower level.

"Does it really mater?" She returned in a casual tone.

Sokka just sighed. "Guess not."

"Quiet down you two!" Katara responded from the front of the group. She had taken point ever since Wolf had relinquished his command of the mission over to her. However, it became quite clear to him that her feelings for Aang were leaving her on edge.

_Looks like there is more between Aang and her than I first though. I just hope it doesn't mess with her judgment too much._

Soon they had reached what looked like a small garden surrounded by a fountain underground. Light from the surface still flooded this section of the Enclave from the shattered glass ceiling, and despite the destruction that was the Enclave, this area seemed unusually peaceful and serene.

"This it?" Sokka asked.

"Nah," Toph responded, "this is just one of several meditation areas in the enclave." Toph voiced her attention to Katara now. "Where is he Sugar Queen? I can't get a good feel on where he is."

Katara looked to both the left and right halls that led further into the Enclave. "I…I can't be sure. I know he's close, but I he's trying to hide himself from me. He…he doesn't want us to stop him." Her voice almost cracked from her frustration.

"Whoa, time out." Sokka interjected. "How can you know where he is and not Toph? I thought she was the best at sensing people through the Force."

Toph face flushed slightly at Sokka's comment, but Katara's only became stern. Luckily Zuko answered his question.

"Aang and Katara share a Force bond."

"A what?"

"It's a rare and special connection that forms between two people strong in the Force. The reasons for these bonds aren't always known, but through them individuals can share strengths, weaknesses, and even emotions and pain."

Sokka just made a weird look on his face that screamed 'WHAT!!'

Seeing his apparent confusion and shock Zuko continued with his explanation. "Listen, all you have to know is that Katara and Aang are closer than any friends will ever be, and that we can use that to find him."

Sokka wanted to pry for more info, but Katara's angry mug quickly quieted his curiosity. _Okay, so my little sister is intimately connected to another handsome young Jedi, it's not like it should matter to me right?! I mean I haven't seen her in like fifteen years, so why should I care?!_

"You okay Wolf?" Toph asked noting his still apparent shock.

"Uh, yeah, just fine." He managed to say as nonchalantly as possible.

"Well then let's go." Katara finished for Toph. Then she remembered they were at an impasse since they didn't know what route Aang took.

Sokka just chuckled. "He went left."

"How can you be sure?" Zuko asked him.

"Well for one thing the dust and rubble look partially disturbed in that direction. From what I can gather he was probably using the Force to sprint through here since it looks like a slight breeze could've been responsible, except their aren't any breezes down here"

"How could you have possibly noticed that?" Katara asked a bit annoyed and surprised at the same time.

"My father was a hunter, he taught me to track everything from beasts to humanoids." Sokka bent down to feel the slight and barely visible path made in the dust of the Enclave floor. "The trick to tracking is not looking for traces of you prey, but rather something that is out of place. You just got to narrow your choices after that by using what you know about them."

"Sweet." Toph commented as she grinned. "It's nice to know we have a spare tracker when Sugar Queen and I are not around."

"Thanks…I think."

Katara just eyed Wolf suspiciously. His talents were adding to her mistrust rather than her appraisal of him.

They continued down the left passage and indeed found that someone had been through the area, and not just recently. From the looks of it various salvagers had left markers along the path to mark areas they had been to or at least knew were safe to explore. If anything they were sure Aang would've taken this route.

Soon they had reached the next level down, but they still hadn't actually found Aang.

"Wait!" Katara suddenly shouted. "He's really close, I can feel him, but he's in pain. He's angry, no, furious! We have to find him fast!"

Katara ran in the direction that the salvager markers pointed, but she failed to notice that some of the markers placed along the hall were warning markers.

"Katara wait!!" Toph shouted a bit too late.

Suddenly the weak hall began to shake and crack. Fortunately Sokka had run after her as soon as he noticed the warning markers and he managed to pull her back to safety. He, however, was not as lucky and fell through the floor along with half the hallway.

Using his keen reflexes Sokka used the collapsing floor as a slide while he fell with it, pushed of it without a second to spare, and then rolled as he hit the floor below. His efforts earned a bruised shoulder, but he had safely cleared the collapse. Now he was just cut off from the group on the lowest level of the Enclave.

"Wolf! Are you ok?!" He heard voices over head shout through the muffling debris.

"Just peachy!" He shouted back. "Uhm, I think I'm going to have to find another way back though. This area is completely caved in."

"Don't worry." He heard Toph's smug voice reply. "You should be able to reach the central courtyard from where you are, and then the passage up. If not, well, we're just going to have to dig you out."

"Great." Sokka responded in his normal sarcastic tone. "Well, see you on the other side." With that he left the debris filled hall behind him and made his way towards the only viable path left to him.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

It wasn't too long before Sokka began to hear raised voices up ahead, and he recognized one of them. "Aang!"

The closer he got to the subterranean courtyard the more he realized that the heated argument between Aang and the salvagers was more of plea for mercy on the salvagers' part. More importantly, he also noticed that their seemed to be a cold draft coming from the lower courtyard. Actually, he could've sworn he felt it since he entered the Enclave, except now it was much stronger.

"Listen man, we didn't know he was your Master! Heck, we didn't think any Jedi survived this place! We just figured we'd move his body to a more dignified area, heh!"

Sokka walked into the courtyard to see Aang standing over a group of eight salvagers who were either cowering or on their knees. The courtyard itself wasn't too much different from the one on the first lower level; except that the meditation platform covered more than half the room and that the only light was artificial. Another thing Sokka noticed were the skeletal remains of a Jedi Master in the center of the room. They had been wrapped in a long cloth; the salvagers were no doubt about to move him just as Aang had arrived.

When the salvagers saw Sokka come in their apparent leader directed their pleas towards him. He didn't seem more than three or four years older than Sokka and his face wasn't concealed by any bandanas like his fellow salvagers. Sokka figured him to be the conceited, cocky kind of individual who'd normally run a gang.

"Hey buddy! Help us out here! This Jedi, he's gone nuts!"

"With good reason!" Sokka responded back. He sighed and shook his head as he walked up to Aang. "Aang, I know these guys are scum and they probably deserve a good thrashing, but not like this. Just calm down, you know, the whole 'there is no emotion, there is peace' deal."

Aang didn't reply or look back at him. He just stood there with his weapon drawn and ready for combat.

"Hey man, come on." Sokka reached over and put a hand on Aang's shoulder, but as soon as he did Aang brought his electrified staff up and knocked away Sokka's arm. Had he not been wearing his bracers it would've shattered his wrist for sure.

"Hey watch it!!"

Aang turned his full attention to Sokka now; the anger was clearly evident in the young Jedi's eyes. "How can you defend them?! They're trying to make a profit out of my dead Master!"

"I'm not defending them; I'm trying to help you!" Sokka stepped forward not backing down from Aang. "Yes these guys need to be taught a lesson, but this is not the way to do it! You're letting your anger get the better of you and it's taking you somewhere you don't want to be again! Toph told me about what happened when the Enclave was attacked and how you almost fell to the Dark Side. Don't let it happen again man." He paused for a bit when he noticed his words were doing little to alleviate Aang's disposition. "Katara's worried sick about you, don't you…"

"Shut up!! I know the truth about you! You're not different from them; you'd just as soon sell out any Jedi to save yourself like you did with Yue!"

Now it was Sokka's turn to be angry. "You're wrong Aang." He responded in a low but threatening voice. "I'd never sell out a comrade, and especially not Yue. Now put down your weapon and a get a grip on yourself before you do something we'll both regret."

"Like this!" Aang quickly slammed down his staff with a quick vertical slice and sent a wave of Force energy towards Sokka.

Sokka, however, had anticipated this and managed to sidestep the attack while simultaneously drawing his back blade.

"Fine, I guess we're doing this the hard way then." Sokka stated in a voice that was a bit more confident than he was letting on. Still, there was a sense of excitement within himself he could not explain.

Aang charged at Sokka with a burst of speed the mercenary had never seen. He managed to bring his blade down to counter Aang's horizontal right swipe, but the momentum behind the attack knocked him back and almost made him loose his footing. Without a second to spare Aang was already continuing his offensive with a flurry of strikes from both ends of his staff. Sokka was barely able to parry.

Fortunately, Sokka didn't use your average style of combat. He parried with both his sword and his armor. For every strike his blade could not counter in time to upper left side he'd block with his left bracer, and for every attack that came lower to either his left or right he'd block with his greaves in a graceful manner. Still, it was taxing just trying to keep up with the Jedi and he was mostly going on instinct and memorized attack patterns to counter Aang. Moreover, he was starting to tire while Aang was only getting faster and stronger.

_Shit! I knew he was fast, but this is insane! At this rate I won't last more than a few minutes at best._

Aang continued his assault and all Sokka could do was defend and slowly lose ground. Then suddenly the young Jedi jumped back a few feet and made a swift shoving motion with his right arm as he held his weapon with his left one. The motion was another Force push, except this time Sokka didn't have enough time or space to evade it and was hit by a power that felt like a wall slamming into him. The attack threw him hard into the wall behind him and he had the air knocked out of him.

Sokka looked up in time to see Aang preparing a horizontal Force slash with his weapon. Using the brief delay to his advantage Sokka injected himself with an Adrenal Accelerate stimulant that he had stashed on his belt for emergencies such as this. The Adrenal stimulant would temporarily grant him increased speed and reflexes, and he was going to need them for this fight.

With his new found strength Sokka easily flipped over the attack and launched himself at Aang. The salvagers had long since fled in fear, so Sokka wasn't worried about any collateral damage.

Now the tables were turned and Sokka was pressing the offensive. Aang, however, wasn't surprised by Sokka's attacks and easily parried or dodged them with his superior agility. This, however, was just a diversion set up by Sokka. In reality, he was just buying himself time to think up a strategy to disable Aang without hurting him by keeping focused on defending himself. What is more, Sokka had come to know how acrobatic Aang's fighting style was and if he gave him enough time to recover the attack then he'd be done in for sure.

_Okay, I can't take him head on, he's too fast. Maybe I can use the surroundings to my advantage._ He sidestepped around Aang to make it seem like he was trying to get behind him and attack, but he was really just trying to get a clear view of the courtyard without alerting Aang to his strategy. It was then that he noticed the equipment the salvagers had left behind in their haste to escape the frenzied Jedi. _Mining charges! There's my chance!_

Sokka made a low horizontal slice with his sword that Aang easily dodged with a quick back flip that put a good deal of distance between the two. Aang used the distance to regain the offensive and launched another Force push at him.

_Perfect._ Sokka thought.

The mercenary crossed his arms over his chest and let his bracers take the full impact of the attack. Aangs Force push still hurt and sent Sokka flying once more, but now he was sent towards the mining charges without Aang being any the wiser of what he was up to.

While still being propelled through the air Sokka thrust his sword into the floor near the charges and used it to pivot and land gracefully beside them. He then brought his free left hand down and made it look like he was holding the floor to balance himself, but in reality he was discreetly grabbing some of the mining charges.

Again Aang launched a ranged offensive with his telekinetic abilities; this time he ripped off the floor tiles off the floor and sent them flying at Sokka. Sokka in turn expertly weaved his way through them like an acrobat and sliced a few that he could not avoid. When he got closer, Aang quickly retracted his staff, clipped it on to his belt, and then clapped his hands together. This sent a section from each of the two walls on the opposite sides of the room flying towards Sokka in an attempt to crush him. Sokka swiftly wall kicked off the right wall and narrowly dodged the fatal attack. When he landed, however, Aang was waiting for him and quickly pulled his arms apart from his clap as he unleashed a massive Force pulse that was completely unavoidable.

Sokka hit the floor hard on his back, but he hadn't lost focus. As he looked up at Aang he saw that the Jedi wasn't fooling around anymore. The air around Aang seemed to be whirling and pulsing with the young Jedi at its center. It felt like if the whole Enclave was shaking.

Suddenly, Sokka understood what was happening. He had learned in his travels with Revan that there were places that were tainted or marked by the Dark Side that could corrupt and empower individuals. Obviously the cold chill he had felt before was the Dark Side aura that had been left behind from the massacre that had occurred there years ago, and Aang was being influenced by it now.

Knowing he had to end the fight there and then Sokka did the only thing he could, he feigned being injured and unable to move.

Seeing his opponent's apparent handicap, Aang released the power that was enveloping him and moved in to finish him off by leaping high into the air and bringing his staff down to impale Sokka.

_I have to time this just right. _

Without a moment to spare he brought up his arms and crossed them over his chest, effectively blocking Aang's staff with his bracers once again. He then kicked the young Jedi square in the chest and sent him flying over him. Aang landed ungracefully on his back while Sokka jumped back onto his feat while simultaneously sliding two of the charges straight at Aang without even turning around to face him.

The ensuing blast threw Sokka forward while he was still running away from the explosion and he smashed his left arm hard against the floor as he landed. Aang who was closer to the blast managed to raise an invisible Force barrier around himself just as the charges detonated, similarly to Toph on Nar Shaddaa. Because of the proximity and sheer magnitude of the charges, however, Aang still took the brunt of the explosion and was thrown into the wall behind him, falling to the floor unconsciously.

Sokka slowly got up clutching his left arm with his right one as he limped towards Aang who was lying face down on the ground. Although he managed to put some good distance between himself and the blast it still did a number on him, especially since he had already taken several hits from Aang's Force abilities. As he reached the young Jedi, Sokka knelt down to make sure he hadn't overdone it with the mining charges. He knew from what he saw with Toph at the Vagrant's Paradise that Aang should've been able to shield himself from the brunt of the detonation, but he was still worried.

_Man, I really hope I didn't overdo it. Katara will kill me for sure if he got hurt bad._

Upon close inspection he could tell Aang only had a mild concussion and maybe a broken rib or two, but otherwise he was fine. He let out a heavy sigh as he let himself fall back on the floor.

Just as he let himself fall the others stormed into the courtyard with their weapons drawn. Apparently they had felt the battle from the upper level.

"Aang!!" Katara screamed as she ran towards Aang's unconscious body. She cradled him in her arms and examined him with her own abilities as she placed her right hand over his chest. "He's alright! A bit beat up, but alright!"

"You're welcome," Sokka commented to no one in particular as Toph came over put his right arm over her shoulder and helped him up to a standing position.

"Just what the hell happened here?" Zuko asked.

"Aang caught the salvagers trying to steal his Master's remains and was about go berserk on them. Luckily I came in and when I tried to talk him down he came after me."

"Luckily? You feel like you went through a garbage compacter." Toph stated in an annoyed tone that concealed her concern.

"I guess we both did get roughed up pretty bad, but we're both alive and no one fell to the Dark Side, so yeah, I think we're lucky." Sokka smiled weakly before his face broke into a grimace. "This place, even I can feel the Dark side is strong here. It was messing with Aang; sort of adding fuel to fire. I have to admit I'm surprised I'm still here."

"Well it's a good thing you are." Toph said. She then realized the words that she had spoken and that Sokka had turned his attention to her, along with the others. She quickly corrected herself. "Uh, I mean this whole party would've been for nothing if you ended up getting killed." She blushed as she said this.

Katara didn't pay attention to this since she was too relieved to have Aang safe in her arms at the moment, so she kept silent as she tried to heal some of Aang's wounds. "His wounds aren't too bad, but I'd rather get him out of here and back to the ship to finish healing him there."

"Sure thing," Sokka responded. "You better have Zuko help you." He then handed her a remote control. "This will help you get onboard."

Katara looked at Wolf with surprise in her eyes yet again. "I, uh, thank you."

"Don't thank me. I don't make a habit of leaving people behind, besides you're going to need help getting his Master's remains out of here," Sokka said while motioning towards Master Gyatso's remains. "When I was in the military proper funerals were a luxury we could rarely afford, even for Jedi. But since that's not the case now though, I figure it's the least we can do to ease Aang's pain."

Again Katara was utterly stunned by Wolf's actions. _Is this really the man who's responsible for Yue's death? _She looked back to see Wolf laughing as Toph made a crack about how the salvagers ran out like screaming little girls. _Is this just a front he's putting up to trick us? Did he earn Yue's trust this way? Still, there's something about him besides the words and the actions that makes me want to trust him. But what is it? _With these last thoughts she and Zuko carried Aang between themselves. Zuko slung Master Gyatso's remains over his shoulder and the three made their way back to the Lunar Wolf.


	12. Chapter 11: Lessons of the Past

**Ok, some looong explanations for this chapter. LoL**

**First off, I anyone who's played the first Knights of the Old Republic game wont have any trouble picturing the ruins. For everyone else, sorry I didnt go into too much detail. It was really hard to describe the place **

**Secondly, the first two questions the droid asks the group when they enter are based off of quotes and such I've picked up from various places. I cant take full credit for those i'm afraid : P The last one however, I came up with myself after playing KOTOR II and hearing Kreia's take on why Revan fell to the Dark Side.**

**Third, the three characters that came up at the end are my original Antagonists to the story. They're going to play a bit part in the goings on of the plot, but you wont always see them. Also, their names are based of the Mandalorian language fromt the Star Wars universe, but that doesn't necesarily make them Mandalorians (Once again a big thanks to my pal Sun-Tsu for helping me find these names). Kandosii means indomitable, noble, and ruthless all in one. Nynir means to hit or strike, and Tracinya means flame. Why they're named as such will become clearer as the story progresses.**

**sigh Once again, I dont own Avatar or Star Wars.**

**--**

Riddles and Reasons

Chapter 11:

Lessons of the Past

All in all, Aang and Wolf's little brawl in Jedi Enclave didn't cause too much of a stir with anyone on Dantooine. Mostly, the salvagers figured that some idiots had set off too many mining charges all at once, something that wasn't too uncommon. Even Aang's fearful impression on the salvagers on the surface as he passed them on his way to the Enclave didn't invoke too much suspicion either. They mistook him for a punk teen that was high on adrenal stimulants. Moreover, the group that Aang had attacked below already had a reputation for cheating customers, stealing from others, and hitting the spice too hard. All this made it so the other salvagers just figured that there ramblings about a Jedi were nothing more than spice induced hallucinations about another wronged acquaintance of there's. The fact that Aang was carried out unconsciously also belittled there story, since it was a seeming normal young man who brought him down after all.

"I think we dodged a blaster bolt there." Sokka commented as Toph, Borabus, and himself walked past the salvager's camp outside of the Enclave.

"Looks that way," Toph responded. "It's a good thing these guy's are about as smart as they smell." She said as she chuckled slightly.

"I wouldn't let my guard down just yet." Borabus said. "True the salvagers here aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, but now we're going to have to deal with the mercenaries. And those guys would turn in their own mothers if they could pass her off as a Jedi."

Besides the salvagers, Dantooine had also become a sort of unofficial base of operations for several mercenaries. Borabus had told the two that some unknown contractor was paying good credits to have mercenaries gather at Dantooine for a special assignment. The bounty hunter didn't say what the assignment was because in truth nobody knew what it was, except for the mysterious employer of course. Still, it was an easy job that paid upfront and Dantooine's lack of a proper government made it too appealing for most mercenaries and bounty hunters to pass up.

Borabus also mentioned that he had been contacted for the job, but that he turned it down. "If it's too good to be true, then that usually means you'll end up dead," was his answer for Sokka and Toph's inquiries as to why he hadn't taken the job.

The trip to the Rakata ruins wasn't particularly long, but since Sokka had just been tossed around into walls like a rag doll it was tiring for him.

"You sure you're ok?" Toph asked him. "I mean Borabus could always give you a piggyback ride if wanted too."

Sokka looked at Toph with a face that measured between scared and slightly disgusted. Borabus just kept walking and seemed to have completely ignored the suggestion, although even he flinched a little at the thought.

"No thanks." Sokka responded rather uncomfortably.

"Eh, just a thought," Toph shrugged. "No need to get so angst about it. I mean it's either that or I carry you."

"Eh…" Sokka was just as stunned about this suggestion as the last, but for completely different reasons. "No thanks, I, I'm good." His response revealed that he was a little less sure of himself than he wanted the others to believe, which of course made Toph smirk.

Before Toph could give Sokka her trademark friendly punch to the shoulder, the relative silence in the hilly plains of Dantooine was interrupted by the sound of blaster fire.

"Crap!" Sokka said. "Looks like HK found himself someway to keep entertained."

"Hmm, I thought as much." Borabus spoke more to himself than the others.

Sokka just looked at him with an apprehensive expression. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I never did tell you were the mercenaries were supposed to meet now did I." The bounty hunter calmly stated.

"Oh shi…" A few more blaster shots pierced the air before Sokka could finish his sentence.

The group of three picked up their pace from of leisurely walk to a full blown sprint in the direction of the ancient ruins. Toph, who had a picked up a few tricks from Aang, was the fastest and arrived at the scene of the ruins a few minutes before a composed Borabus and a panting Sokka.

Sokka new that there must've been several mercenaries on Dantooine by now, but he didn't expect as many as he now saw. Overall, there seemed to be a more than a hundred gathered. Most of the seemed to be soldiers from both sides of the previous wars who were now unemployed and looking for a means to support themselves, the rest of them, however, seemed to be professionals judging from there attire and equipment. Now about eighteen of them surrounded the entrance to the underground Rakata structure, taking defensive positions around the pillars and broken structures that surrounded it. Several of them were wounded, but nothing fatal from what Sokka could tell.

"Well, this is going to complicate things," said Sokka as he brought his right hand up to his face.

"Ya think?" Toph agreed in a sarcastic tone of voice.

The trio cautiously made there way closer to the ruins. They had to be careful to avoid the sudden crossfire that sparked up ever so often between HK and the mercenaries. "

"HK! You can stand down now!" Sokka yelled to the droid when they finally got close enough to the ruins.

"Jovial Statement: Ah Master! Good to hear from you!" HK slowly appeared beyond the stone archway that led into the interior of the ruins with his blaster rifle at the ready. Fortunately the mercenaries were a bit confused by the apparent cease fire and the appearance of the droid's master to take advantage of the situation. "Statement: These meat bags weren't willing to cooperate when I explained my mission, so it was necessary to show them the measure of my resolve."

"Well, I think they get the idea now HK. No sense in reaffirming it." Sokka chuckled nervously.

"Hey you!"

The group turned to see that one of the mercs who HK had been 'feuding' with had gotten up from behind a broken pillar and was walking towards them with a not to friendly look on his face and his blaster at the ready. He was human and judging from his straight posture, crew cut hair, and firm voice he was probably ex-military too. Now the man wore some basic light armor and a TC-22 blaster rifle, a standard issue for Sith infantry.

"This is your droid huh?"

"Yeah," Sokka responded rubbing the back of his head with his left hand. "Heh, sorry about the whole misunderstanding and your men getting shot; didn't think you guys were stationed by this rock heap."

"If you're sorry now just wait till we get through wi…"

"Alright buster back off." Toph cut in with her usual rough and tough manner. "First off, if you idiots had just gotten out of the way this wouldn't have happened. Secondly, I wouldn't be making threats if about twenty of my pals and I just got our asses handed to us by one droid."

This caught the man off guard; he just stood there trying to come up with some comeback for Toph, but all he could do was stutter and mouth a few incomprehensible words. Finally he just got fed up with words and decided to take action by trying to melee Toph with his rifle. She, however, easily caught his rifle and shoved it back into his chest. The merc hit the floor hard and got the wind knocked out of him while Toph just stood over him with his own rifle in her hands. She then proceeded to easily disassemble the rifle before throwing the pieces back to the emasculated man.

"Listen up because I'm only going to say this once!" Toph threatened in a firm but not too loud manner. "This is our turf now, so unless you want us to finish what our droid started here then I suggest you get out of our way! Got it?!"

The merc just looked away in silent agreement and with a scowl on his face. As much as he hated it he knew when to back down. "Come on boys," he called out to his men, "These guys aren't worth our time." Soon after, the ex-Sith merc and his men disappeared back into the crowd of hired thugs.

"Okay, remind me not to ever get on your bad side again." Sokka said as he smiled at Toph.

"Heh, damn straight," she shot back as she smiled and slugged him in the arm with another one of her punches.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

After the short incident the Sokka and the others made there way into the Rakata ruins. The ruins themselves were old, dark grey, and musty with a fog still lingering in certain areas. Moreover, it seemed that someone had apparently excavated the site about a year or so ago. What bothered Sokka the most, however, was how unnaturally cold it was in there. If he had learned anything about the Force it was that cold was symbolic for death, and the Dark Side.

"Damn. This could be trouble."

"What?" Toph asked. "Are you talking about the fact that someone beat us to the punch, or that the Dark Side is strong enough here to turn me as crazy as Aang?" She suddenly made an expressionless face that made Sokka cringe. Then she burst out laughing when she felt she had hit her mark. "Don't sweat it; I'm just pulling your leg. I'm not so weak to turn so easy, or haven't you noticed." A triumphant grin formed on her face. "Besides, from the feel of this place I doubt whoever was in here got very far. I can barely feel more than ten feet from where I'm standing. Mostly I think they just cleared the entrance for us."

"I wouldn't be too sure." Sokka countered. "You can't see very far here because of the Dark Side Aura the Star Map is giving off. Heck, it's even making me queasy and I'm marginal.

"Don't be such a drama queen Snoozles, it's not that bad."

"Well maybe not, but whoever was here sure left in a hurry. And somehow I doubt it was the Dark Side that scared him off."

Suddenly the group turned around when they heard something that sounded like a cross between a Tusken Raider and Jawa call out to them from behind. Everyone had there weapons at the ready instinctively, but they slowly lowered them when they saw that it was an ancient looking spider droid with a cylindrical body that had made the sound and not a mutant.

"It's the Rakatan droid from Revan's notes!"

"The wha?" Toph asked.

The ancient droid began to speak in another unknown dialect. This time it sounded like it was clicking.

"It's a sort of the keeper of these ruins. Revan mentioned that the Rakata had an empire that expanded throughout this galaxy, but that it declined when a plague hit. Supposedly they left droids like this one in similar ruins to point the survivors to their last stronghold in Lehon, along with the Star Forge. That is, if they proved themselves."

Once more the droid tried another alien dialect. It sounded like an old overgrown Gizka cooing.

"Proved themselves?" Toph pondered out loud.

"Well, they had to prove they were Rakatan, or they'd risk being wiped out for sure." Sokka saw a puzzled look on Toph's face. "The Rakatan weren't the most popular race. They made slaves out of most of the galaxy, and that tends to rub people the wrong way." He added jokingly.

Now the droid used a more familiar language Twi'Leki. More specifically, an offshoot of it, but it was still recognizable to the group.

"Finally, something familiar." Toph cheered.

Sokka was impressed by this. "You know Twi'Leki?"

"Yeah. Since I don't use these much," she pointed to her eyes, "I figured I'd try to make full use of all my other senses. Learning as many languages as possible seemed like a step in the right direction."

"Impressive." Sokka couldn't help but to be awed by her once again. _Man, I've known a few Jedi in my time, but she definitely takes first place when it comes to 'most amazing.' OH SHIT!! Keep it together Sokka; now's not the time. I mean so what if she's a totally amazing cute…DAMN!! There I go again!_ He brought his hands up to the side of his face as if trying to block out his own thoughts.

Toph just studied his reactions through emotions she could feel him giving off through the Force. _Oookay. Why is he spacing out over there? Geeze, this guy really is a weirdo; even if he does seem like a charmer…OH CRAP!! Not these thoughts again! Okay, okay, just keep it together Toph. Remember 'there is no emotion, there is peace.' Pssh, like that trick ever works._ Now Toph was rubbing her temples with her hands in an effort to block out here own thoughts.

They might have been there for a while like that if Borabus hadn't interrupted them.

"Yes, it's all well and nice, but shouldn't we be getting back to the task at hand."

"Uh, right!" Sokka said as he jerked back to the present. He spoke to the Rakatan droid in Twi'Leki. "We come seeking the Star Forge."

The Droid in turn responded. "Those who come seeking the knowledge of the 'Builders' must first prove themselves worthy."

Sokka sighed heavily. "Well, here comes the fun part."

"Which is?" Toph asked.

"Oh it's just a couple of complicated questions that will decide whether we live or die."

"That sound's about right." She added sarcastically.

"Answer this," the droid solicited. "What is the biggest difference between a massacre and a victory?"

Sokka looked at the droid suspiciously. "The side you're on."

"Correct. Now answer this. When is a defeat absolute?"

"When you've learned nothing from it." Sokka answered.

"Correct. Now answer this. What is the only absolute in war?"

"Sacrifice."

"Correct." The droid paused for a moment. It looked as if was uploading part of a program. "Analyzes of the results has been completed. Verification confirmed. You are the one 'he who came before' spoke of."

Sokka's expression became shocked. "You mean Revan knew I would come?!"

"Correct. 'He who came before' returned here less than two of your years ago with the knowledge and permission of the 'Builders.' He left instructions to allow only the one who could answer these three questions passage to the knowledge of the 'builders."

There was a sudden sound of rumbling stones behind the group. They turned back in time to see the enormous stone doors of a sealed room open.

"You may proceed." The droid spoke before disappearing back into the recesses of the ruins.

"Oooookay, now what was that about?" A befuddled Toph asked Sokka.

"What do you mean exactly?" He responded.

"Don't play dumb Snoozles. I'm talking about the 'questions' that droid asked you." She stressed the word 'questions.'

"Oh, well to be honest it surprised me too. I mean originally Revan's notes said that the droid itself didn't ask the questions, but rather that it pointed out where you were supposed to go to take the, uh, well test."

Toph's voice was a bit higher than normal when she spoke again. "So basically Revan came back here to Dantooine, excavated the ruins after Malak blew them up, and then reprogrammed a droid that's thousands of year's old so you could find the Star Map?!" When she finished she brought her hands to her hips in an imposing manner and made an aggravated look on her face.

As far as body language was concerned Sokka could tell she was saying, 'WHAT THE HELL?!' This made him freak out a bit and all he could force out of his mouth was, "Heh, weird huh?" The grimace she made told him that she wasn't buying it. "Okay, okay. I don't know why he reprogrammed it specifically for me, but I do know that it was for me only."

"How's that?" Borabus asked.

Sokka was relieved that Borabus had taken over the questioning, at least for the time being. "Well, when Revan took me under his wing there were three lessons that he made sure I understood above all others. The first he taught me when I saw first hand how brutal the Mandalorians could be in battle. He asked me the same question the Rakatan Droid just did, "What is the biggest difference between a victory and a massacre?" I didn't understand it then, but as the war progressed I learned. For every victory the Republic gained thousands of Mandalorians were butchered, but this was overlooked because at the end of the day we had won and they had lost. That's when I truly understood what he meant."

"And that was?" Toph once again resumed her interrogation.

"That every battle ends in a massacre. When all is said and done it doesn't matter who wins or looses, the sad fact is that one side will always be wiped out or decimated for someone to be declared the victor. People hide or overlook this truth based on the degree of success their faction has, but that doesn't change the truth."

Toph considered this for a bit. _For a guy that ran off to join the fight against the Mandalorians, Revan was pretty wise. I mean the Masters always told us the evils, dangers, and sadness of war, but they never really portrayed war as a lose, lose situation like Revan did. When you look at it from a grander scale though, it makes perfect sense. I wonder if Revan knew this when he joined the war, or did if it came to him later?_

"So," she continued a bit more relaxed, "what about the second lesson?"

"He taught me that one when I mourned for the dead. He reprimanded me for wasting my energy on useless emotions that dishonored the fallen."

"Heh, sounds like he was a strict teacher," Toph spoke a bit more lightly and upbeat.

"You have no idea," Sokka smiled a bit. "It was especially tough at thirteen."

"You were only thirteen?!" The blind Jedi made no effort to hider her surprise. "You were still a kid."

Sokka's look became more serious. "Kid' and 'child' are relative terms. It all depends on what you've lived through, and I'd lived through quite a bit. In the end he was right. What good is it to mourn the dead? It won't bring them back and it's a waste of time. He told me that a far better way to honor the dead was to learn from them. 'No loss is absolute if you've learned something from it,' those were his exact words. Heh, as usual it took me a while to understand, but as time went on I noticed that the strategies Revan employed against the Mandalorians were derived from defeats the Republic had suffered prior to his arrival on the front lines." Sokka paused a bit and looked directly at Toph now with a slight smile on his face. "And you know what?"

"What?" She replied.

"Revan never lost a single battle in the entire war."

"So what about the final lesson?" Toph asked. She was now genuinely intrigued, and slightly saddened, by the lessons a young boy was forced to learn.

Now Sokka's look became even more solemn, if that was even possible. "Revan taught me that one when the war was nearing its end. By that time his tactics, although efficient, had become as fierce and brutal as the Mandalorian's. He wanted to finish the war as quickly as possible to end the loss of life, but to do that we sacrificed much."

Toph's look became slightly sadder as well. "You mean about Malacor V."

She had heard about the final battle fought between the Republic and the Mandalorians in the Outer Rim. Malacor was a taboo planet for the Mandalorians, and perhaps the only place that they truly feared. Supposedly Revan had learned of this and challenged the remainder of the Mandalorian fleet there to throw them off balance, but that was not all. In secret he had ordered the construction of a weapon of mass destruction, the Mass Shadow Generator. The device was designed to compress the gravity around a large area, similarly to the effect of a black hole. When activated it destroyed not only the remainder of the Mandalorian fleet, but a significant portion of the Republic armada that fought them there, as well as the planet's surface.

"Not only there." Sokka corrected her. "Actually just about every battle fought in the Outer rim territories was full of heavy losses. In the jungle moon of Dxun alone we lost at least ten Republic soldiers for every one Mandalorian, but we drove them out of their stronghold." He paused a bit as if remembering the battle. "If one word could be used to describe any war it would be 'sacrifice.' Lives and ideals are always lost, there are no exceptions. This lesson was probably the greatest truth about himself he ever shared with me." Again he paused to collect his thoughts. "In the end I wonder if he truly fell to the Dark Side, or if he sacrificed himself to it."

"He sacrificed himself? Just to end the war?"

Sokka just shrugged. "Maybe, or maybe there was something else besides the Mandalorians that drove him to it. When you look at, doesn't it seem odd that we don't even know for sure why they attacked the Republic? I mean I've even heard stories about Mandalorians deserting the front lines in order to find out the true reasons behind the war."

"Hmm," Toph thought out loud. "Well now that I think about it the Masters were always talking about how there was more to the war than met the eye. That's the main reason they didn't want to join the fighting right away."

"You mean whey didn't join at all." Borabus corrected.

"Well they were right weren't they?!" Toph countered. "I mean look what happened to Revan and all the Jedi who joined the fight; they turned on…!" She quickly stopped herself when she realized she was insulting the memory of Sokka's comrades. True they betrayed the Republic, but she wasn't really sure how Sokka felt about it. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Sokka responded, albeit with a false smile that even she felt. "Well, no sense lingering, we still have to find how to get the holocron to unlocked." He turned and headed into the newly opened chamber. The others followed him in.

The new chamber was not much different from any other part of the ruins, except it was far colder. The stone was the same deep dark grey and ever so often there would be broken fragments of it around the room. The only thing that stood out was the tripod looking structure that had a black sphere in its center. It was centered in the room. As they got closer the tripod's struts opened up and the sphere that had been housed within them flew up and began spinning and glowing. Suddenly a miniature map of the galaxy appeared.

"Statement: It would appear that this is the Star Map we are looking for." HK stated.

"Well, is anything happening?" Toph asked Sokka.

Sokka had taken the holocron out of the small sack he had on his belt and was holding in his right hand. "No nothing." He answered glumly. "Maybe we're missing something; some clue, or piece of the puzzle."

"You mean like this?" Borabus asked rhetorically as he lifted his left arm to reveal a small pyramid similar to the holocron in his palm. This, however, was made of a red crystal.

Sokka's eyes bulged for a second. "Is that what I think it is?!"

"Don't know. Why don't you tell me? I found this a while back and thought I should hold on to this for safe keeping." Borabus answered.

"What's going on?" Toph asked as Sokka ran up to Borabus and took the smaller pyramid shaped object from his hand.

"I think Borabus here may have had the 'missing piece of the puzzle' after all!" Sokka replied. He then turned to face Borabus. "Where in the galaxy did you find this?"

"Here on Dantooine, less than a year ago. I came by to scope out what the situation was concerning that job I told you about."

"You mean the one you said you didn't like?" Toph asked with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Yes. I got the feeling that I should take a look just to be sure, and wouldn't you know it I find a Sith Acolyte running out of the ruins when I get here."

Sokka smirked. "So you helped yourself to his loot I take it?"

"Not in the way you think. I'm a bounty hunter, not a thief. The idiot apparently thought he found something to amplify his powers and decided to test out his 'power boost' on the nearest living thing. Unfortunately for him it turned out to be me, and the 'boost' he got wasn't nearly enough to pass for my daily training routine." Borabus looked down and shook his head in a pitying fashion. "The encounter didn't last more than two minutes. Anyhow, after he was dead I decided to make up for lost time by inspecting his catch. That's how I found it."

"And what is it?" Toph said in an annoyed tone of voice. Clearly she was a bit ticked off that they had yet to tell her exactly what Borabus had found.

"Looks like a cipher to me." Sokka answered her.

"You mean to decode the holocron?" Toph continued. "And why are you just showing us this NOW?" She asked Borabus.

Borabus answered casually. "What allies don't know, enemies won't know." When he noticed Toph wasn't satisfied with his answer he clarified himself. "We have the Sith on our backsides chasing us through the galaxy. If we got caught or they managed to get the holocron then that cipher would be a pretty handy trump card to have. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Good point." Toph agreed with her signature toothy grin. She turned to Sokka now. "Well, what are you waiting for? Give it a try."

"Glady." He responded.

Taking the Holocron in one hand and the cipher in the other, he brought them close together. The holocron split open into three conjoined piece to reveal a hollow center. Sokka placed the cipher in the middle and the holocron resealed itself. Suddenly there was a deep red glow and a slight humming emanating from the completed holocron. It began to spin faster and faster in Sokka's open palms, levitating slightly above them. Then the hologram generating sphere from the Star Map unexpectedly shot a focused beam into the holocron, and the holocron in turn redirected it into his forehead.

Sokka's head shot back as if the beam had carried the inertia of its speed with it. Flashes of visions were etched into his psyche. He saw children, but they were shadowed and their identities hidden. There were five of them and they were laughing. Darkness overcame them and a new vision appeared. Now he was seeing a burning building. It was old and worn, but if not for the fire it might've been a home to those children. _The children!_ Sokka's mind searched for them in the vision. _There!_ They were huddled together outside the burning building; now, however, there were only four. _Where's the other one?!_ Sokka also noticed there were other shadowy figures standing outside the flame, but these were adults. Even in the midst of such an ambiguous vision Sokka knew that these were the ones responsible for the fire, and now they were surrounding the children. Sokka wanted to yell at the cowards, to tell them to leave the children alone but his voice was gone. He was there as an observer only. Once again darkness overtook his vision and the images he had seen were gone. Suddenly a bright light ignited and its radiance showed the children as if they were in the spotlight. The next thing Sokka noticed was that the shadowy figures that had burned down the building were all dead. They had never reached the children. Now the area encompassed by the light grew and revealed a robed masked figure standing before the kids. _Revan!_ Revan offered his hand to the huddled innocents. At first they seemed too scared to move, but then the one child who had been overtly protecting the others reached for the Jedi's hand. When the two connected the darkness returned and the vision was lost.

"Snap out of it Snoozles!!" Sokka felt a small but strong hand slap him across the face.

"Ouch! He what the hell?!" He reached out to rub the left side of his face, which was now red and swollen from several slaps. When his sense fully returned he saw that Toph was standing over him and holding him slightly off the ground from the chest portion of his coat. Borabus was standing beside him along with HK.

"Finally." Toph said as she dropped him onto the floor with a loud thud. "For a second there I thought you were in a coma."

"And you were going to bring me out of it by slapping me into another one?!" Sokka replied angrily while holding the back of his head that now had a bump thanks to the drop it received. He sat up on the floor not bothering to stand just yet.

She just shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, it seemed like the right thing to do at the time."

"I told you he was fine." Borabus told Toph. "His pulse and vitals were normal, he may have just as well of been sleeping. Not to mention that he'd only been out for a few minutes."

"Hey, when Sith holocrons are involved you cant be too careful." She defended herself. "By the way," Toph turned her attention back to Sokka. "Just what the heck happened there? I didn't see what happened, I just felt you hit the floor. Borabus told me that the Star Map thingy just sorta sapped the holcron and that the holocron then sapped you."

"Well, with the exception of a few Toph induced bruises, I'm fine." Sokka smirked, but the grin was lost as soon as it had come when Toph brought her fist down on his head to add another bump to his collection. "Hey, I was only joking." He said rubbing his head. "Well, on the bright side it looks like we were right about this holcron unlocking with the help of the Star Map."

Toph's eyes widened and she became excited. "You mean?"

"Yep," Sokka couldn't help but smile at her, "I just got a new vision."

"Whatcha see?!" A wound up Toph asked.

"Children."

"Huh?"

"Like I sad, children. From what I can tell it looks like Revan pulled them out of the fire, and I mean that almost literally."

"Any idea what that has to do with you?" Borabus asked.

"Not a clue." Sokka said as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes in deep thought. "Hmm, from the looks of it I don't think the vision was complete. I think we're going to have to find the other Star Maps to find what the whole truth is."

"Well that's just great." An annoyed Toph commented. "Any idea what part of the galaxy to start looking."

"Yeah, behind you."

"Huh?"

"Uh, I mean the Star Map. It's incomplete, but it should at least point out the other Star Maps and what planet they're on."

"Statement: It looks like this Star Map may have given us more than that Master."

Sokka turned his attention back to the Star Map. One of the planets was now blinking.

"HK, what planet is that?"

"Statement: It would appear to be Kashyyyk Master."

The young mercenary smiled. "Heh, I guess we finally caught a break HK."

"Concurring Statement: Oh yes Master. Our relations with the Wookies will serve us well in our journey."

"What are you two talking about?" Toph asked, obviously agitated to be out of the loop once again.

"Oh, let's just say I've made some friends among the locals of Kashyyyk." Sokka answered her with a smug grin.

"Whatever." She replied with an irritated look on her face. "Lets just get out of here before Sparky and Sugar Queen decide to ditch us here."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Far away from Dantooine on a remote and desolate planet, three robed figures sat in deep meditation within a private chamber of their compound. The room was dark and only partially lit by florescent lighting that surrounded the perimeter of the floor and ceiling, but even so, certain features could be discerned from the three.

Two of the people were men and one was a woman, and all were fairly young to command the powers and loyalties that they did. One of the men was of average height; about six feet even and of average build. The second was far grander in height at about eight feet and a few inches, also he was heavy set and muscular. The woman's build was slender, but she was obviously well conditioned. She was also almost as tall as the first man, but at least two inches shy of reaching him.

Suddenly all three were roused from their meditations by an invisible jolt to their senses. There heads shot up from their low meditative positions in almost perfect unison. Clearly they had sensed something troubling.

The woman removed her hood and revealed herself. She was beautiful with vibrant green eyes, pale skin, and long, red hair that easily reached down to her shoulders. Her face was soft and kind looking, the type of face that helped the assassin reach her intended targets with greater ease. "That disturbance, did you feel it?" She turned her attention to her companions, although she already knew the answer.

Now the two men revealed their appearances as well. The smaller one was about as young as the woman. He had a handsome face that was vibrant and clean shaven. His hair was black and cut in a crew cut fashion with the exception that it was longer and he had a set of bangs that came over his right eye. The larger man had dark tan skin and was completely bald. Despite his enormous size, however, he had a peaceful look in his brown eyes that belittled his tremendous physical and Force sensitive abilities.

"Yes Tracinya. This new development will prove quite troubling to our goals, unlike Ozai's pathetic Sith Assassins." The first man responded while his larger comrade just nodded in silent agreement."

"But Kandosii," Nera continued, "There is something familiar about this disturbance. You both must sense it as well."

"It doesn't matter in the least!" Kandosii responded harshly. "Whatever that presence was, it was clearly a threat to us."

"We can't act to hastily brother!" Tracinya countered. "What if we misinterpreted it? What if it is actually an ally? We could risk turning it into an enemy."

"We need no more allies." Kandosii calmly stated. "Our mission is on the verge of completion. If we do not snuff out the spark while it is small it could pose a greater hindrance to us in the future than it could a benefit."

Now Tracinya turned her attention to the larger man. "Do you think this way also Nynir?"

Nynir closed his eyes as if contemplating the situation before nodding silently once again.

"Then it is settled." Kandosii continued. "Tracinya, you will track down the source of the disturbance, and once you find it you are to end it."

Tracinya looked slightly crestfallen, but when she responded her face and voice were both firm and unwavering. "I understand brother, and I will not fail."


	13. Chapter 12: Why He's Here

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long hiatus. I had a bit of writers block and some other personal matters to deal with _ Still, to make up for an absence of updates I bring a piece offering. BEHOLD, NOT ONE, BUT THREE NEW CHAPTERS!!! Heh, hope you like them**

Riddles and Reasons  
Chapter 12:  
Why He's here

When Sokka, Toph, Borabus, and HK had made it back to the ship they found that Aang was sleeping comfortably in the infirmary with Katara at his side. Originally they planned to leave ASAP, but they all agreed that it they should prepare a funeral pyre for Master Gyatso.  
Later the same day the group took advantage of nightfall to leave the ship and prepare the funeral pyre. They made sure that they were far away from Khoonda and any other people in the area to avoid revealing that most of them were Jedi. Aang had also regained consciousness and, against Katara's wishes, insisted on being at the funeral.  
The funeral itself wasn't anything spectacular, but rather it was humble and heartfelt. They had placed Master Gyatso's remains on a neatly stacked pile of dry wood on a hill with the night stars shinning brightly overhead while the cool night breeze lifted his ashes to the sky; a perfect send off for a Jedi Master.  
In all honesty Sokka felt out of place amongst the Jedi and would've rather stayed on the ship with HK and Borabus. Aang, however, was especially adamant that Sokka attend. Apparently Aang wasn't over nearly having killed him, and inviting him to the pyre was the best way to start making amends.  
After the funeral the group returned to the Lunar Wolf and began the journey to Kashyyyk and the next piece of Revan's riddle. To everyone's surprise, Borabus had gone ahead and prepared dinner while they were away. Of course everyone was a bit suspicious at first since they never would've guessed a big shot bounty hunter like Borabus would also be a chef, well that and the fact that it was a perfect way to poison them again. In the end it was Sokka who had the first taste of the stew because he had the most trust in Borabus, but mostly because he was just so damn hungry. What was even more surprising, however, was that the stew was actually pretty damn good.  
They all sat around the holo table enjoying their bowls of stew. Sokka was seated next to Toph, with Zuko on her left side. Aang and Katara were on the opposite side of the table. Borabus had already had his share of the meal and was down in the garage fine-tuning his equipment. It was apparent that the bounty hunter enjoyed his privacy.  
"Ell I hav to admith, this stuv beas the ants off my ooking." Sokka commented over a mouthful of meat from his serving of stew.  
"Well that's probably because he actually finishes cooking his meals before he serves them." Toph said while the others were still just trying to piece together what Sokka had just attempted to tell them.  
"Ey!!" Sokka shot back as he finally gulped down the food he had in his mouth. "Medium rare always tastes better than well done! Besides, I'm a simple guy with simple needs. I'm happy so long as there's meat."  
"Judging from your pantry I'd say you're always happy." Katara teased him, and for once without scorn in her voice. "Honestly, I'm surprised you stay alive just living off meat and booze."  
Sokka just leaned back on his side of the chair and put his arms on the back of his head. "Eh, my dad was a great hunter, but he was never much of a cook. I just take after him; well that and they don't teach you how to cook your own meals in the army, with the exceptions of M.R.E.s"  
"I bet." Katara said with a somewhat suspicious look on her face. "Still," she continued as her expression softened a bit, "this Borabus is just full of surprises. I mean first he catches us, lets us go, then he just so happens to have the missing piece of the holocron we need, and now he's a gourmet chef? It's all just too convenient."  
"You're right Katara, it is nice to have someone who can actually cook around." Toph jested as she flashed her signature grin.  
"I'm serious Toph!"  
"Yeah, yeah, I know you are Sugar Queen. Still, I don't think he's just playing us to get to info for the Sith. I mean if he was with the Sith he would've turned us in for the bounty when he had the chance."  
"Toph's right." Sokka agreed. "Being the best in his line of work doesn't come from going the extra mile, it comes from staying alive long enough to be recognized."  
"So you're saying he couldn't be fooling us into a false sense of security right now until we unlock the holocron?" Katara countered.  
"No, I'm saying that it's pointless because it wasn't in the original contract. I mean when was the last time you saw a bounty hunter do something for free?"  
Katara leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. "Well I guess that makes sense, but I still don't trust him."  
"Come on Katara," Aang joined in, "I think you should give him a chance. Sure he may be a bit a spooky with his mask on all the time, but I get a good feeling from him. Just like I got from Zuko when he was trying to kill us."  
This last comment almost caused Zuko to choke on his stew.  
"Oookay." Sokka said as he made a funny looking, surprised face. "So I'm sensing you guys didn't all start out on the right foot."  
"You could say that." Toph casually stated. "Twinkle Toes and Sugar Queen got along great when they first met, but it took them a while to get into my good graces."  
Aang looked at Toph slightly annoyed. "Toph, the first day we met you forced me into a death match and then threatened to kill me in my sleep after I beat you."  
"Of course I threatened to kill you, they don't call them 'death' matches for no reason. Besides, you were a real teacher's pet and you were freaking annoying. Also," Toph continued, "the fastest way to get to know somebody is to get them scared, drunk, or to fight them.  
"We weren't even ten years old yet!" Aang protested.  
"That is why I didn't get you drunk."  
Sokka couldn't help but laugh. "I guess I got off easy then."  
"Who said you were in the clear?" Toph said as she narrowed her eyes at him.  
Sokka found this extremely disturbing since he saw first hand what happened to all the people who fought Toph or got on her bad side. Heck, he wasn't even on her bad side and he was already hurting. Needless to say he sighed in relief when she broke of her glare and went right back to talking.  
"Still, so far you've been luckier than Aang here. He first met Sparky when Sparky was trying to sabre him from behind."  
Zuko stopped eating and slowly put his bowl down. Obviously bringing up that part of his life was unsettling for him.  
"Why would Zuko be trying to kill Aang?" Sokka asked as he sat back up at attention.  
Now Zuko answered his question. "Because I used to be a Sith Assassin."  
"Oh," was all Sokka could say as his face became more serious.  
"Key phrase there Sparky, 'used to be.' Toph said. "You changed sides and nearly got yourself killed doing it. Remember?"  
Zuko's look became slightly agitated now. "Well that doesn't change the fact that I was a Sith, or what I did as one!"  
"Yes it does." Aang interjected. "What you did then, that's not you anymore. You have to accept that."  
Zuko's look eased up a bit now, but was still slightly depressed. "I'm not sure I ever will be able to fully accept it."  
"Good." Sokka stated matter-of-factly. Now everyone was looking at him with uncertainty in their eyes. "And you know why you'll never be able to live that down? Because you're a good person; if you didn't still feel some sort of remorse then that'd only mean that you could care less about the choice you made."  
Everyone was still somewhat surprised by Sokka's words, but they understood what he meant.  
"You tell him Snoozles!" Toph said merrily as she punched him in the shoulder.  
"Ouch! Geeze, what is it with you and hurting me?"  
Zuko smiled at him and laughed. "Don't worry. She's not trying to kill you; it's just how she shows affection."  
"Oh…whaaaa!?!" Sokka became red as his mind registered what Zuko had just told him. Although, he wasn't nearly as red as Toph who now punched Zuko so hard he fell of the seat.  
"Okay," Zuko managed to moan out as he tried to get back up, "sometimes it just means she's really pissed off at you," he said hoarsely.  
Aang burst out laughing, but Katara just stayed somber. *Zuko's right. Toph doesn't just knock people around because she's angry or feels like it. Sometimes she does it to show us she cares. But that means that...*  
"Well, I'm off." Sokka said sounding slightly less shocked as he stood off of the table.  
Zuko chuckled at this. "Don't worry Wolf. I was only joking."  
"Eh, right." Sokka tried to sound nonchalantly as he rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. "But honestly, I feel like I've been run through five consecutive rounds in the Taris arena and left for dead in a garbage compactor."  
"Well you did get the snot kicked out of you today." Toph said as she finally began to regain her composure.  
Aang face dropped slightly at being reminded of how close he came to killing Wolf. Something Sokka noticed right away.  
"Don't worry about it Twinkie." He merrily stated.  
"That's Twinkle Toes… I mean Aang!" Aang quickly shot back as he now turned a slight shade of red, although nothing like Sokka and Toph had just a little while ago.  
"Oh right. Heh, sorry about that." Now Sokka's became slightly more serious while still holding a casual smile. "Honestly though, I've been through a lot worse. I can get over it no prob. Heck, I mean I survived a field trip with Toph."  
Now the whole group was smiling, minus Toph that is. She looked somewhere between embarrassed and royally ticked off. Another thing Sokka was extremely fortunate to have noticed quickly.  
"I…got to go rest! See ya!!" With that Sokka made a dash to his bed in the ship's cockpit.  
"Looks like you scared another one away Toph." Zuko told Toph while trying to hold back a small fit of laughter.  
"Bite me Sparky!"  
Now Toph left the table and headed for their temporary sleeping quarters.  
Zuko kept an eye on her up until she entered the room and closed the door. Then he turned his attention back to Aang and Katara. "Is it just me, or is Toph acting a little stranger than usual?"  
"Actually, now that you mention it she has been a better mood than I've seen her in a long time. Heh, I mean for the most part." Aang responded. "Hmm," he though out loud as he brought his hand up to his chin, "you don't think it has anything to do with Wolf do you?"  
Zuko shrugged. "Who knows? But it's probably a safe bet."  
"And that's exactly why we should keep an eye out for her." Katara finally spoke. "Wolf may have come through for us several times already, but we still don't really know anything about him. Remember, the Masters told us something big is coming and that he may be tied to it, but even they weren't entirely sure if it was good or evil."  
"Come on Katara." Aang protested. "I don't think he's exactly the 'evil' type. I mean if it weren't for him who knows what I might have done back at the Enclave."  
Katara's expression softened ever so lightly. "I know Aang, and part of me wants to believe he's not a threat, but part of me is also telling me that something's not right in all of this. I just don't want to see Toph or anyone else getting hurt." Now Katara stood up and headed for bed.  
"What do you think is wrong with Katara?" Aang as Zuko.  
"Why are you asking me? You know her better than anybody?"  
"Well, yeah, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to get a second opinion," Aang responding in a witty manner.  
Zuko just smirked as he shook his head at Aang. "Heh, you may be the natural prodigy here, but when it comes to women you're completely clueless buddy."  
Aang's face dropped into a grimace. "Yeah, fine, whatever. So what's your verdict Maestro?"  
"Well, Katara has always been the most protective of the group; I think this whole situation has just got her on edge. I mean first we have Wolf, whom she thinks got Yue killed, leading us on a scavenger hunt for Sith relics across the galaxy. And then we have Borabus, who's probably the best bounty hunter in the galaxy, tagging along with us for some unknown reason. Add to that the psycho assassin droid who keeps popping up around her, and well, it's pretty easy to figure she's a bit stressed out."  
"Irritated Statement: I am not 'Psycho.' I am as I was programmed to be." HK said as he was standing right behind Zuko.  
Both Aang and Zuko screamed and jumped up at HK's sudden appearance.  
"Shit! HK don't ever do that again!" Zuko said as he was starting to regain his calm.  
"Condescending Statement: But I though a Jedi was never caught of guard? The fact that it is so easy to sneak up you Jedi only serves to prove that you've become awfully distracted as of late. That or you've simply become too lax in your training."  
"What?!" Zuko yelled at the droid. "I'll have you know that…HEY WAIT!!!"  
HK didn't wait for Zuko to finish defending himself. Instead he just turned his back on both of Jedi and left them to there conversation once again. He then disappeared to some unknown part of the ship.  
"Okay. I'm beginning to see how HK might be driving Katara batty." The still partially startled Aang told Zuko.  
"I hear that." Zuko replied. "Still, I don't think it hurt to ask Borabus why he's here. Do you?"  
Aang thought a moment before he answered, "I guess it couldn't hurt. But why not talk see if we could get more out of Wolf first? I mean Katara's already made it clear that she suspects him, but we might have better luck."  
Zuko looked at Aang with a slightly annoyed face. "Well we might have had a better chance talking to him about Yue if you hadn't tried to kill him in the Enclave."  
"Heh, right." Aang said while rubbing the back of his head with his right hand.  
"Either way, I don't get the impression that Wolf is someone we need to worry about. If anything he's the most trustworthy individual in the ship who's not a Jedi. Besides," Zuko continued, "I have a few questions I'd like to ask Borabus myself, and I'm not going near HK unless I have to. That droid gives me the creeps."

Meanwhile, in the garage portion of the ship Borabus was busy fine-tuning his gear over and over again. To many it may have seemed redundant and perhaps even a bit futile, but the bounty hunter had his reasons.  
Borabus was standing by the work bench with his helmet still on and his back to the ladder that lead to the main living area of the ship. Some of his equipment was on the bench disassembled. The power cells to his dual pistols were laying on the left hand corner, his vibroblade was currently centered on the bench with its shock cell removed, and his wrist dart launcher was disassembled right above it. He was apparently checking the pressure lines in the launcher prior to modifying his vibroblade.  
Borabus suddenly saw a shadow fall over his work area and slowly turned to face HK. Even Borabus had to admit that HK had an uncanny ability to avoid detection. It was troublesome.  
For a few long minutes the two only stared each other down. Neither one of them seemed to be losing ground.  
"I'm watching you," was all HK said as he turned and made his way back up the ladder and into rec-room, where Aang and Zuko were discussing something.  
Borabus just heard the two Jedi scream, and he chuckled under his helmet as he went back to work. *Looks like I'm not the only one who has trouble keeping tabs on that droid. Well, at least I know I'm not losing my touch.*  
About five minutes later both Aang and Zuko casually make there way into the garage.

The bounty hunter didn't even put down his tools, completely ignoring them. To their credit, Aang and Zuko didn't let that deter them. After several minutes waiting, the bounty hunter gave a slight turn of his head to acknowledge their presence  
"What do you want?" he asked roughly, annoyance evident in his tone.  
"Well, to be honest, we wanted to know a bit about you Borabus," Aang replied in his usual curious way. "I mean it's just that since you're tagging along and all, we kind of figured it'd be nice to know."  
"Wolf is 'tagging along' as well, why don't you go bother him?" The bounty hunter coldly stated.  
"Because…"  
"Because you don't trust me." Borabus cut Aang off before he could finish. Aang hung his head, slightly embarrassed because Borabus hit the bull's-eye. The bounty hunter placed down the tools he was using and slowly turned to face the two Jedi who had intruded his privacy. At this close range, he looked incredibly intimidating. It was a sight known to few, most of who wound up dead, or worse, moments later. The impressive looking scathe on his faceplate did nothing to lessen this, in fact it enhanced it, seeing that he was still alive after an attack that would have killed anyone, armor or no.

"I'm not here to make friends Jedi, and I could care less about earning your trust. Don't think for one second that I'm even remotely scared of you. I was the one who let you out, on the condition that no questions would be asked. So unless you want to feel another burning sensation followed by a painful period of unconsciousness, I suggest you turn around and walk back the way you came." Borabus' deep voice and authoritative tone were enhanced by the slight mechanical sound of the helmet's vocabulator, leaving little doubt he would hesitate to back up his words with actions. Aang took a step back, but Zuko wasn't so easy to intimidate.  
"Alright then," said Zuko, stepping forward and taking over for Aang. "Just why is it that you are here? If you're going to be with us we need to know what your intentions are, or we could just leave you behind."  
Borabus just laughed. "Leave me behind? Are you forgetting what happened at the cantina? How easily I took down four 'Jedi'? If anyone is going to be making the threats here, it's going to be me. So like I said, no more questions, or you'll get up close and personal with another one of my darts." He leaned forward, bringing his armoured helmet closer to the former Sith. Zuko could almost swear he could see the bounty hunter's eyes, and feel the aura of determination he was exuding.  
"Try me." Zuko wasn't without backing down.  
The bounty hunter glared directly at Zuko for a few moments, before standing up straight. "You've got guts, I'll give you that." His tone was a little less intimidating, but not less annoyed. He paused for a bit before answering Zuko's question. "Like I said earlier, I'm here to pay off debt, and if that means I have to see this mission of yours through to the end then so be it."  
"But who do you owe the debt to?" Aang chimed in, a little more confident now that Borabus wasn't staring them down. "For all we know it could be debt to the Sith."  
"Who is not your concern. Besides, I thought you Jedi were supposed to be intelligent. How does letting you complete your little mission help the Sith?"  
"So then you're here to help Wolf?" continued Zuko, a little confused but still determined to get an answer.  
"How can I possibly repay a debt to someone I've never met before?"  
Now both Aang and Zuko were confused. If Borabus wasn't there on behalf of the Sith or to help Wolf, then who was it he owed a debt to?  
*Could he be lying to us? No, I don't feel that he is, but then who or what is he here for?* Aang thought to himself.

Borabus sighed a little, amazed at the ability of some people to be so easily confused.  
"Listen, You two were either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid to try and ask me questions. But you stood up to me, so I think that deserves a reward. You may ask one question, and only one, or you'll be the first to ever get a second dart from me. And trust me, it doesn't feel better the second time."  
Aang and Zuko bowed their heads, trying to think of a good question. It was Aang who spoke first.  
"If you don't owe a debt to Wolf, and you're not working for the Sith, why are you here?"  
"A good question, there may be hope for the Jedi yet. The truth is, I have my own unanswered questions, and maybe, just maybe, this little quest of yours might lead to some answers. You Jedi say that many paths often lead to the same place. I have a feeling I know who is at the end of this particular road, and that is the person I owe. Now, be gone."

With that, he turned back to his work, leaving Aang and Zuko completely confounded by his sudden burst of philosophy, and the fact that he had now raised more questions than he answered. However, neither of them was keen to try and ask him more questions, so they wisely decided to leave.

As they walked, Aang turned to Zuko.  
"So, it has to be Revan, right? Who else could he mean?" Aang asked Zuko for some form of affirmation on his speculation as they both made there way back up to the rec-room.  
Zuko just shrugged. "It looks that way, but if there's anything I've learned it's that things are rarely what they seem."

An hour or so had passed since Aang and Zuko had tried their hand at attempting to find out what Borabus' intentions where, and Borabus was still busy at work. He had finished upgrading his vibroblade with a new shock cell and was now working modifying his dual Westar-13 blaster pistols.  
Borabus casually picked one up and began testing its weight to make sure his modifications hadn't thrown the blaster off balance. Although a minor detail to some, experience had taught him that even the tiniest miscalculation could quickly turn the tide of battle.

Once Borabus was sure that his weapon was in top condition he lowered it to his side and spoke out to no one in particular.  
"It really is quite a mystery how the Force can make Jedi think they are so superior." With that, he whipped himself around, firing another dart at a shadowy figure that had crept up on him. But before the dart reached its target, it stopped in midair, before falling harmlessly to the ground. Then the shadowy figure stepped into the light, revealing that it was the young Katara. "I see you've fully recovered from the last dose I gave you then. Now, before I get upset, leave."

Katara made no movement; she just stood there, thinking about how to get information out of him when her Mind Trick didn't work. She tried again, sending out stronger tendrils of the Force to try and erode his will.  
"You will tell me what I want to know," she whispered, voicing the command she was trying to put in his mind.  
"I will tell you what you want to know," he replied in a slight daze.  
"Good. Now, why are you here?" she asked calmly, a small smirk of triumph on her face.  
"I'm here to pay off a debt," he said in the usual dull tone of those whose minds have been influence by the Force. "And it's something I'm not going to explain to you, Jedi," he continued, before laughing loudly.

"Did you really think that I'm that weak minded?" he said to a now incredulous Katara.  
"But how did you…?" she stammered, before Borabus cut her off.  
"You Jedi think that your command of the Force makes you superior to everyone, especially your 'Mind Trick'. Did you think yourself so adept as to be able to influence me? I don't know whether to be merely insulted or enraged. My world has codes of honor, and so does your Jedi Order, and what you just did violates both. So, unless you want me as an enemy instead of an ally, I suggest you leave, now." Katara could sense the anger seething from him, but wasn't prepared to give up yet.

"No," she said firmly, standing her ground. She raised her hands, preparing to pin Borabus to the wall, but Borabus was fast, drawing his one functional blaster and aiming it as her chest. "I'm not going anywhere until you give me a reason to trust you with the lives of my friends," she said in a strong and commanding tone. Borabus looked into her eyes, which were locked on where his would be. He could see the truth of her words. Katara wasn't doing this for herself; she was doing it for the others. *Perhaps I was a bit hasty, maybe she does have honor,* he though to himself.

After a few moments of the stalemate, Borabus conceded, lowering his blaster.  
"It's not often I spare someone for facing me like this. But there is honor in your resolve, enough for me to forgive your disgrace from before. I will give you the same deal I gave your friends. One question and that is all." Katara lowered her hands as well, but was still wary of the bounty hunter.

"I know you're here to pay a debt, and it's not to Wolf or the Sith. Is Revan the one you are working for now?" Borabus didn't even hesitate before answering.  
"No." He gave no other words, or anything to clarify or elaborate on what he meant.  
"What do you mean no?"  
"I mean, that Revan is not the one I'm doing this for. And forget about me telling you, because it's not going to happen."  
"And why is that?"  
"Because knowing would put us all in danger, a danger none of you are ready for."  
"What kind of danger? And how does knowing someone put us in danger?"  
"This person, they're rumored to be dead. If it turns out that they aren't and the word got out then we'd all be hunted by the people who hunted him, though hunted would be putting it lightly. The Sith are nothing compared to what is out there. I believe that is more than your one question, so feel free to leave."

Katara just stood there, absorbing his words. *He has secrets, but he's been telling the truth. I can let it go for now, but not forever.*  
"I'll go then, but I'm warning you now. If you do anything to put Aang or the others in danger, I'll end you myself." Borabus gave no hint that Katara's threat meant anything to him.  
"I admire your resolve Jedi. I expect you to keep your word, if the time comes." With that, Katara left, leaving Borabus alone with his thoughts.

"Otherwise, you'll never protect anyone," he spoke to the lonely darkness.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………  
Almost two hours passed before Borabus had the third visitor for that night. This time, however, his guest was unusually brazen and practically ignored him as she sat on his make shift bed, which was a simple military cot.  
"So whatcha doing?" Toph asked him nonchalantly.  
Borabus just ignored her at first.  
Toph just shrugged when he refused to even acknowledge her. "Eh, fine whatever. I can see you're still trying to keep busy so Sugar Queen doesn't read your mind and all. I don't blame you though; she can be a real pain sometimes. This one time she actually ratted me out to the Masters at the Enclave on Alderaan when I snuck out to the city."  
Again it seemed like Borabus was completely ignoring her.  
Toph became annoyed at this. "Hey, I'm trying to start a conversation here! You could at least pretend to care!"  
Now the bounty hunter finally stopped fidgeting with his equipment and turned to look at her. "Listen, I've been through this whole song and dance routine with your friends and I don't plan to do it again. So just leave me alone."  
"Yeah, yeah," Toph replied as she picked her left ear. "They told me about the whole 'owing a debt to someone' story, but what makes you think I'm here for that?"  
"What else would you be here for?"  
"Well for starters Katara's going all moody and motherly upstairs with Sparky and Twinkle Toes, and Snoozles is snoozing as usual. So, basically there's no one left to talk to. Unless you count HK that is, but I'm not really in the mood to be told what kind of mood he's in before he answers. Besides, I kinda figured you could use a friendly conversation that doesn't involve someone asking why you're here for."  
"I don't." Borabus coldly stated.  
"Well too bad, cause I'm bored and I do want a conversation that won't put me too sleep."  
Borabus was taken aback by how blunt and straightforward this Jedi was. He'd met quite a few before and they all had a philosophical aspect to their manner that drove him nuts. Well, with two exceptions that is, but then again they weren't really Jedi when he met them.  
"Fine." He finally relented.  
"Sweet!" Toph said flashing her signature grin once again. "So, where are you from originally? I came from Taris, but about the only good things about that place were my friends in the Lower City so I made tracks as soon as I got a shot at becoming a Jedi."  
"Concord Dawn."  
"What?" Toph asked with a confused look on her face.  
"You asked where I came from didn't you?" Borabus shot back.  
"Heh, yeah, but I was expecting a bit more than just a planet."  
"Too bad. Like I said, I'm not here for conversation."  
Toph blew some of her bangs away from her face in frustration of Borabus' lack of enthusiasm. "You know, I'm starting to think HK would've made for a more interesting conversation partner."  
"Probably." Borabus simply stated.  
Toph's agitation was starting to show on her face as she pouted angrily, but then a thought popped into her head and her pout became her mischievous smile.  
"Ok, so what's with having the helmet on all the time? Is it to hide your ugly mug, or just that scar across your face?"  
Borabus stopped what he was doing and instantly turned to look back at her for the first time during their conversation.  
Toph's grin grew even wider, if that were possible, when she found she hit a nerve.  
"How did you know about that?!" Borabus maintained a steady voice, but it wasn't difficult to tell that he had been caught off guard for once in his life.  
"Heh, cause you just told me." She laughed at him. "You know, I was just guessing there. At first I actually though your face was horribly disfigured or that you were missing your lower jaw like Malak." Then her look became more serious. "I'm guessing that you had a run in with a lightsabre, right?"  
Borabus made no signs of being shocked or surprised. "And what makes you say that it was a lightsabre? I could have gotten sloppy scarred myself with a plasma torch."  
Toph laughed at this. "Heh, fat chance buddy; from what I've seen about you that's the least likely thing that could of happened. Besides," her face became serious once again, "you're not the only one with keen instincts, and mine are telling me it was a Jedi that gave you your scar."  
The bounty hunter didn't respond. He seemed to be mediating on something.  
After a few minutes of eerie silence Toph finally broke the silence with a question. "So how'd you get that scar anyhow?"  
"It wasn't a Jedi," was all Borabus said.  
"Huh?!" Toph was actually more surprised about the fact that he answered her with something besides silence than the fact that it was neither a Sith or a Jedi that scarred Borabus.  
"He wasn't a Jedi, but he definitely wasn't a Sith. The only thing I could say about him is that he was unique."  
"But it was a 'he?"  
"Yes."  
Suddenly it occurred to Toph who it was that Borabus owed a debt to. "So that's the person you owe the debt to! The one who gave you that scar!"  
For a moment Toph thought Borabus was just going to ignore her, but then he surprised her yet again with an answer.  
"Yes."  
"Why? I mean from the scar on you I doubt you two were the closest of friends."  
"You're right, we weren't friends. In fact the day he gave me this scar was the first day I'd actually met him."  
"Then why?"  
"Because he spared me."  
Toph's eyes widened for a second when she heard this to hear this. "He was trying to kill you?"  
"Quite the other way around really; you see I was hired to track him down and kill him. When I finally caught up to him though, it was He who bested me."  
"Bummer." Toph replied while she smiled at the fact that Borabus wasn't as invincible as he acted sometimes. "So why'd he spare you?"  
"I can't say for sure; what I can tell you is that his resolve only strengthened after he defeated me and it drove him to face his pursuers head on."  
"Heh, he must've been some guy then." Toph chuckled.  
"Yeah. He had the whole galaxy against him, both Jedi and Sith alike, but he refused to just lay down and die. So that day he earned my gratitude and my respect."  
"So by helping So…I mean Wolf, you're hoping to find this person and repay him for sparing you?" Toph asked trying to verify Borabus' reasons.  
"Mostly, but I'm also curious as to why he spared me at all, and most importantly, why he purposely put himself in a position that had him at odds with the entire galaxy."  
"And what makes you think Wolf can lead you to him?" She continued to question.  
"Because he once served with him, even if he doesn't remember it all to well."  
"What?!" Now Toph was genuinely surprised. "You mean this guy served with Revan too?"  
"Yes… and no. I know he was one of Revan's elite agents, but official military records say he doesn't exist."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Revan did a number of things, both when he commanded the Republic fleet and before, that were known only to him. Many operatives worked directly for him, with no official mention anywhere, military or otherwise. After the war, a lot of them simply vanished."  
"Oh," Toph finally realized where this was going. "And you think that because Wolf served directly under Revan that he may have some idea where he might be."  
Borabus didn't say anything for while; it seemed like he was choosing his next words carefully.  
"There is that possibility, but more than that, my instincts tell me that that holocron will eventually draw him out."  
"Uh-huh," Toph suddenly jumped off the cot and back onto her feet. "Well thanks for the talk. It was definitely a lot more fun than one I would've had with HK."  
"Don't mention it…and I mean that in the most literal sense."  
"Heh, guess you want to keep some things a secret huh?" Toph teased. "But you know, you never answered my question about why you like to hide behind that thing." She pointed at his helmet.  
"It's an issue of trust. Just like your boyfriend trusted you with his real name, my face is something that I only reveal to those who I can trust my life to."  
"Well I guess that makes sense I mean…HEY!!! HE'S SOOO NOT MY BOYFRIEND!!!" Toph yelled back with crimson cheeks.  
"Oh, so it's another Sokka whose name you mentioned last night while you slept?" He made fun of her.  
Now Toph actually turned even redder. "How did…?!"  
"I like to meditate at night; I find it relaxing. And you like to talk in your sleep apparently. You'd be surprised what you can hear and notice if you focus hard enough."  
"But how did you…"  
"Know his real name? There are a lot of things I know that are known to few. Now you should probably go, before your friends start wondering what I'm doing to you."  
Toph's face wasn't as red as it had been, but she was still pissed. She just blew her bangs from her face again and made her way back up top.  
Borabus just shook his head as she left the room. "She's a strange one all right. I wonder if she'll ever figure it out." *And what made me so talkative around her? I better be more careful in the future. If they find out who he before the time is right, then we are all in serious trouble.*

**Well, now we know a little bit more about what makes the infamous Borabus tick. But just who is the person he owes a debt to, and just how does he intend to pay that person back? All will be made clear in the end, although a few of you may have already figured it out ^^ Heh, I'll try to do what I can to keep you guessing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or Star Wars, I just write about em lol**


	14. Chapter 13: A Warm Welcoming

Riddles and Reasons  
Chapter 13:  
Warm Welcoming

Two Days Later orbiting Kashyyyk

The whole group was now crowded into the Lunar Wolf's cockpit and anxiously awaiting there descent to the forest world of Kashyyyk. Sokka had the pilot seat, as usual, and was trying to open communications with the planet below.  
"How exactly do you intend to land on Kashyyyk? Last I heard the Wookiees weren't' exactly having an open house, especially after the Czerka Corp. incident." Zuko asked Wolf.  
"Don't worry about it. The Wookiees know me, we'll be just fine." He smiled without turning away from the computer screen in front of him.  
"And just how do they know you?" Katara asked him suspiciously. She had her hands on her hips. "They haven't let anyone land on their planet since they chased off Czerka Corp. for selling them into slavery."  
"Just chill out Mom! I got it all under control." Sokka grinned at Katara.  
"MOM?!" Katara's hands fell straight at her sides and her face was red from both anger and embarrassment.  
Toph just laughed. "Heh, looks like he has your number Sugar Queen."  
"And what's that supposed to mean?!" Katara demanded.  
"Well you gotta admit, you do come off as over-bearing sometimes." Toph replied with a slight shrug and a mischievous grin.  
"Wha?! You can't… That's not true is it?!" She asked a startled Aang and Zuko. Both looked off in different directions trying to avoid the question.  
Fortunately for them a small light on the computer panel started to blink. Everyone's attention went back to the pilot, who was now answering the incoming transmission.  
"This is the Lunar Wolf responding, over. Can you hear me down there, over?"  
Some unintelligible grunts and light howls responded.  
"Hey guys! Long time no see! It's me Wolf!" Sokka answered.  
Again there were more strange Wookiee sounds.  
"Heh, it's a long story fellas, but the short version is I need your help finding something on Kashyyyk."  
This time the Wookiee's response had what sounded like gruff laughter at the end of it.  
Sokka became annoyed and put his hand on his forehead as if trying to forget some unpleasant memory. "Uh, no. I'm not looking to form another hunt like last time. And for the record, you could've warned me about the indigenous plant life!"  
More gruff laughter came out from the intercom followed by some light howls. Then the transmission ended.  
"Ok, we're good to go. They're going to let us use the old landing platform Czerka installed." Sokka told the group. All of whom were surprised at being granted such easy access to a planet that hadn't endorsed any form of visitations in nearly two years.  
"How did you…" Zuko started to ask.  
"I'll explain later. For now we got more important things to worry about." Sokka cut him off.  
"Yeah, like what was that incident with the indigenous plant life they were talking about." Toph teased.  
Sokka suddenly became embarrassed. "I'd uh, rather not say."

Some fifteen minutes later the Lunar Wolf made it's decent into Kashyyyk's atmosphere and was now flying close to the planet's forested surface. It didn't take long from there to find the large, flat, and circular landing platform that had once belonged to Czerka.  
Kashyyyk itself was almost completely one giant forest. With the exceptions of large lakes and oceans, the entire planet was covered by enormous wroshyr trees. Not only that, but most of these trees were miles high. Luckily for them though, the Wookiees had made several wooden bridges and platforms that connected the scattered villages together.  
The ship touched down in the centre of the platform and its crew started to walk out of the loading ramp.  
"Whoa! This place is amazing!" Aang excitedly shouted out. It was apparent that the natural beauty of the planet was something he had never experienced before. "I mean Dantooine was quiet and peaceful, but this place is just so 'alive!' And not like the city either."  
Sokka couldn't help but laugh at the Jedi. He may have been eighteen, but he still seemed like a twelve year old.  
"Yeah, the Wookiees aren't much for industrialization. They prefer a more subtle environment." Sokka told him. "But don't let that fool you; they're surprisingly quick learners and have already got a knack for using advanced tech."  
"I'd just wish they kept things a little closer to the ground." Said Toph. Sokka could see she had been acting strangely since they had landed.  
"What's wrong? You seem a, uhm, off." He asked her.  
"Ugh, it's these damn wooden platforms." Toph explained. "I mean I can see that I'm standing on something through the Force, but I can't feel it nearly as well as the concrete and steel on Nar Shaddaa. It disorients me a bit is all."  
"You mean because wood doesn't conduct vibrations as well as earth and metal?"  
"Bingo Snoozles." Toph replied. "Well that and the fact that I can tell we're miles from the floor."  
Sokka grinned at her. "Trust me; the floor is the one place we don't want to get any closer to. That's where the more unfriendly life forms on this planet tend to dwell."  
"And yet I get the feeling that's exactly were we're headed. Am I right?" Zuko asked.  
"Fraid so." Sokka responded. "That's the most likely spot to hide a Star Map, but we're going to need a guide to get down there in one piece." Sokka smirked at the situation. "Luckily for us I know just the Wookiee for the job."  
"Ok, that's it." Zuko stated. "Just what exactly is you're relationship with the Wookiees? The only other person who could have possibly landed here without getting shot down would have been Revan. Did he put a good word in for you or something?"  
"It's more complicated than that but…" Sokka cut his sentence short when he noticed a group of Wookiees coming up the walkway towards the landing port.  
The Wookiees had no armor on but they were heavily armed with bowcasters and giant Ryyk blades. Needles to say the group tensed up a bit waiting for a fight.  
"Don't worry. I got this." Sokka reassured them. "Whatever happens don't pull out your weapons or make it look like you're itching for a fight." He paused for a bit to speak directly to HK now. "And don't pretend you're not itching for a fight so you can shoot them when they're not looking."  
"Disappointed Statement: *sigh* Very well Master." The droid responded, putting away his carbine.  
The Wookiees arrived in front of the ship shortly after Sokka had finished telling the others to play it cool. There were eight Wookiees in all, and they were easily 8 feet or taller and very muscular despite the fact that they were completely covered in fur. One of them made his way in front of the others. This one was about a foot shorter than the others and his fur was a chestnut brown color. He was obviously a young Wookiee and at an age equivalent to that of the Aang or Toph.  
The young Wookiee looked like he was ready to pounce on them, but Sokka just calmly walked up to him and looked him straight in the eye. Suddenly the Wookiee grabbed Sokka and looked like he was about to tear his head off. Aang was about to charge the Wookiee when Toph caught his shoulder.  
"Hold it Twinkle Toes." She told him.  
Aang was about to break free of her grip when he heard Sokka laugh.  
As it turned out, the Wookiee wasn't trying to kill Sokka, he had just embraced him in a tight hug and was ruffling his hair.  
"Huh?" Was the only thing that escaped Aang's mouth when he saw Sokka was in no real danger.  
"That's just how Wookiees say 'hi' to a good friend." Toph calmly stated.  
"You could've fooled me." Zuko said as he too finally began to relax.  
"Wookiees play rough, it's just there nature." Toph added when she noticed that most of the group was still a bit confused. With the exception of Borabus that is.  
"Okay, okay, Goruk!" Sokka said as he finally squirmed his way free of the adolescent Wookiee. "Happy to see you too."  
The Wookiee responded with a few mellow howls.  
"Boy, you sure have grown since the last time I saw you."  
Goruk just nodded as he replied with more grunts and some soft growls. The young Wookiee then motioned towards the group with a quick nod and even more growls and howls.  
"Oh right! Goruk, these are my friends. They're here to help me with my search."  
Toph didn't waste any time introducing herself. She just walked up the Goruk. "Pleased to meet you; the name's Toph by the way." Then she pointed at the rest of the group.  
"The guy in the middle there is Aang, and that's Katara next to him; I just like to call them Twinkle Toes and Sugar Queen. You'll understand why once you get to know them." She grinned. "That guy in the corner with the scar is Zuko, aka Sparky. Oh and the big guy in the armor is Borabus. He doesn't talk much, so I still haven't figured out a nickname for him yet."  
"Er, hi." Was all Aang could say as he waved at the Wookiee.  
Goruk responded with his usual howls and grunts.  
"Thanks Goruk." Toph replied.  
Now all eyes were on Toph. When she noticed she just shrugged.  
"What?"  
"Toph, you never told us you knew how to speak Wookiee!" Katara stated.  
"First off, it's called Shyriiwook Katara. And secondly, what do you think I do in my spare time? It's not like I can watch holos or would want to meditate on my overall purpose in the Force."  
Sokka laughed. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were aiming to outdo me as a 'jack of all trades."  
"Oh please," Toph punched him in the shoulder and quite painfully once again, "you're not even a contender."  
This caused Goruk and the other Wookiees to laugh; not the most common sight when it comes to Wookiees who are in the presence of another species.  
Goruk said something else to the other Wookiees, which lead to even more Wookiee laughter, and then motioned for the group to follow them through the wooden walkways. Whatever the last thing he said though, it caused Toph and Sokka to look noticeably embarrassed. Another thing that was becoming quite common when it came to the two and Katara noticed it. She also heard Borabus snicker under his breath, though it was obvious the others didn't.  
"What did he say?" She asked them suspiciously.  
"Uh, that we…uh." Sokka was stuttering.  
"That we should, uh, follow them to the village! Heh, that's right!" Toph finished a little too animatedly.  
They both took off after the Wookiees and the rest of the group followed a few paces behind.  
"Is it just me, or are they not telling us something?" Aang asked the others.  
"Yeah," Katara answered, "and I mean to find out what." She turned her head slightly to question HK who was bringing up the rear, along with Borabus. "HK, what did Goruk just say to them?"  
"Irritated Statement: I am not here to serve you meat bag. I am here to serve the Master, and revealing what my Master would not would be considered an act of betrayal." The droid irately retorted.  
"Fine," Katara let out an annoyed sigh, before turning to the bounty hunter. "What about you, I take it you understood, since you thought it was funny as well."  
"My Shyriiwook isn't as good as the other's, but I got the gist. Apparently, they think it's funny that the female is the more aggressive mate," he replied with a slight lilt to his voice.  
"Oh," Katara coolly said before she became utterly shocked. "WHAT?!" she shouted, stopping in her tracks.  
Borabus just kept walking forward as if nothing had happened. "Apparently the Wookiees think they're dating. Not too farfetched though when you consider how they get along." He turned around to face Katara, "Come on now, don't want to be left behind."

A few hours later Sokka and the others finally made it to a Wookiee village. The village was composed of several different and large platforms that all had huts on them. The huts themselves were of course wooden and had thatched roofs made from dry leaves and other foliage. Outside the huts several Wookiees were going about there daily routines. The youngest Wookiees were playing something that looked like tag. The women, who could be distinguished by their slightly smaller physique and lighter coats, were busy either nursing the infant Wookiees or storing food. There were also several male Wookiees, some were armed and obviously keeping a vigil over the village and others were simply working on the huts.  
The village took notice of their visitors from a fair distance, but they barely reacted. Mostly the Wookiees seemed to ignore them, although some of the younger (Wookiees) did tend to distance themselves from the group. It wasn't until they were a stone's throw from the village that some of the Wookiees become aware of that fact that Wolf was with them. When they did see him a murmur of Wookiee howls and grunts began to flow through the village and some even came out to greet them.  
"Hey guys! It's great to see you again!" Sokka greeted them with a wave.  
A few Wookiees responded with bone crushing hugs and other such painful greetings.  
"It looks like we're going to need a few kolto packs for Wolf before we leave this place." Aang laughed.  
"You could say that again." Toph laughed as well. "These guys really like him, but I wonder why?"  
"That makes two of us." Zuko added, although a bit more seriously.  
"WOLF!!!" A feminine and young sounding voiced yelled out from the Wookiee multitude.  
Suddenly a young Twi'lek woman appeared out of the crowd of Wookiees and held Wolf in a tight embrace. Her face was youthful and energetic, but her azure-skinned body clearly asserted that she was no teen. All in all she was very beautiful.  
"Mission?!" Sokka responded in surprised yet cheerful voice as he returned the hug.  
The others looked on at the two in surprise.  
"Wolf sure seems to know a bunch of women around the galaxy, huh?" Aang asked no one in particular.  
Toph didn't say anything; rather she just knocked Aang to the ground with a hard punch to the shoulder and then crossed her arms in annoyance. Katara couldn't help but laugh at the situation. *Looks like I won't have to be worrying about Toph anymore.* She thought.  
"Well aren't you going to introduce us?" Katara asked Wolf in a triumphant voice.  
"Oh, sorry," Wolf said as he finally came to his senses and he finally let go of the Twi'lek. "Guys, I'd like you to meet Mission Vao." He waved a hand in the female Twi'Lek's direction. "Mission I'd like you to meet some friends of mine. This is Toph, Aang, Katara, Zuko, Borabus, and of course you know HK already." Sokka introduced everyone in the party. "Guys, you should know Mission is the sneakiest, most devious and light-fingered) scoundrel you'll meet on this side of the galaxy."  
"Hey!" Mission snapped back.  
"Oh, sorry; I meant to say the whole galaxy."  
"Much better, though you could have added no-good swindler as well," She smiled warmly.  
"A scoundrel?" Aang asked with a puzzled look on his face.  
Sokka just shook his head in comical disbelief. "You really need to get out more Aang. A scoundrel basically is…"  
"She's a professional thief." Toph interrupted rather rudely.  
"Well, in a nut shell, yeah." A slightly weary Sokka confirmed. "But she's way more than that. Not everyone you meet can escape the detention area of a Sith capital ship and then hack the ship's systems to turn them against there owners."  
This last statement caught Zuko's interest. "Wait a minute! You're that Mission Vao?!"  
"Uh, yeah," Mission said in a 'whatever' toned voice.  
"You were part of Revan's party when he brought down Malak!!! One of the heroes of the Republic!!!" Zuko continued.  
"Well that was a while back, but yeah, me and Big Z were there riding shotgun when Malak got his shiny ass handed to him by Revan." She laughed, "Heh, heh, good times."  
"So how did you end up…, wait, who's Big Z?"  
"And how do you know Wolf?" An irritated Toph interrupted Zuko's questioning.  
Despite his reputation as a ladies man, Sokka was awfully dense when it came to reading women. As such he just figured Toph was having another one of her random mood swings and was only slightly cautious as he explained how he and Mission met. "Well, it's another one of those long stories, but it all started…"  
"Oh please Wolf," Mission cut him off, "you always were the worst when it came to story telling and just flat out talking to people." She turned her attention to Toph and the others.  
"For right now though, I think it's best if we take this somewhere else. You don't want to get caught outside of Rwookrrorro village once it starts getting dark."  
"And why's that?" Toph asked more to instigate a fight than anything else.  
"Well for starters the Asyyyriak tend to come out in force at night. Boy let me tell you, those critters can be one heck of a nasty pain." Mission shuddered at the thought of the six-legged spider like creatures. "Plus, Big Z will want to talk to you guys. And let's not forget it can get a bit chilly at night. It's much more comfortable to be near a fire."  
"Can't argue with that." Katara agreed with her.  
The group went ahead and followed Mission and the Wookiees into Rwookrrorro village. For the most part the Wookiees were still acting somewhat suspicious of such a large group of outsiders in there midst, but with Wolf and Mission in the group they seemed to be much less anxious than before.  
The Wookiees still gave Sokka several other rough hellos before they arrived to a large thatched hut at the centre of the village that had two heavily armed (Wookiee) guards at its circular door. "We're here to talk to Big Z." Mission told them. One of the (Wookiee) guards howled rather fiercely. "Oh right! Almost forgot." Mission told him before she turned to the others. "Yeah, you're going to have to give up your weapons before we can talk to the big guy. Standard procedure since he's the Village Chief and all."  
Aang and the others weren't distrustful of either Mission or the Wookiees, perhaps with the exception of Toph that is, but they didn't feel too comfortable giving up their weapons so casually. Sokka, however, wasted no time and quickly removed his sheathed sword from his back and handed it to one of the Wookiees. The others soon followed his example and turned in their lightsabres, even HK and Borabus gave up their blasters quite respectfully. It did take Borabus a while to finally remove all the weapons he had on him though. By the time he did finish both the (Wookiee) guards were up to there arms with his Echani vibroblade, twin Westar-12 blasters, his dart launcher, and various small but potent demolition devices he had on.  
Finally the guards allowed them to enter the Chieftain's hut. Inside they found the hut was very (spacious). The room was in the shape of a long oval. On its sides were various tribal emblems and symbolic decorations that included spears, massive swords, and even some wooden, heavyset shields. There also several torches lit on the walls of the room. At the far end of the room stood the chieftain of the village flanked by four more Wookiee guards.  
The chieftain himself was slightly taller than his guards, although his fur coat was a lighter brown that made him seem fairly young for someone in his position. He also had a massive sword that he held with his right hand, wore a necklace made from some kind of reeds and animal bones, and had on a helm made of leather and similar animal bones. Judging from the various symbols on the blade he held in his hand, the others could tell that the sword represented the Wookiee's status as chieftain of the tribe.  
With a slight grunt the chief beckoned them to come forward, and so they did. Mission was the first one to reach him and bowed courteously before him, Sokka and the others followed her lead.

"Chief Zalbaar," Sokka spoke to him, "it's good to be in your presence once again."  
Zalbaar responded with a few howls before he walked up to Sokka. The room was silent for a long moment, with only the sound of crackling of the torches disturbing the stillness. Then the Chieftain placed a massive hand on Sokka's shoulder and, like the other Wookiees, squeezed him in a tight hug while lifting him some three feet of the ground.  
"Okay, okay," Sokka struggled to say as the Wookiee squeezed the air out of him, "we can drop the formalities."  
Zalbaar dropped Sokka to the ground and with a few spirited howls welcomed him and the others to the village.  
Mission couldn't help but burst out laughing. "You should've seen the look on your faces! I can't believe you'd still think anyone here would want to hurt you guys!"  
"Well, judging from what you've been doing to Wolf, I'd say that's exactly what's going to happen to us." Zuko stated.  
"Heh, that just comes with the territory of being a local hero." Mission explained.  
"This guy," Katara pointed at Sokka, "a hero?"  
"Yep. Why is that so hard to believe?"  
"Oh, no reason," Katara lied. "It's just he doesn't strike me as the hero type."  
Chief Zalbaar seemed to take offence to Katara's last comment and responded with a few firm growls.  
"You tell them Big Z." Mission added.  
"Tell us what?" Katara asked.  
"Oh right," Mission slapped her forehead, "I keep forgetting only Sokka and Shortstop over there can understand Shyriiwook."  
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" An infuriated Toph asked Mission.  
"Hmm, I guess you're right. You're not that short." Mission calmly replied. "How does Tomboy sound?"  
"Okay, that's it!" Toph was about to launch herself at Mission when Sokka jumped in front of her and held on to her; stopping her charge by barely holding her back.  
"So Mission, why don't you tell them about why I'm so famous here, or would you rather I did?" Sokka did his best to change the subject, because it was obvious that if he didn't there'd be one less conscious person to listen to the tale.  
"Heck no! Last time you tried to tell a story I tried to strangle myself with my lekku to keep my brain from melting." Now Mission spoke to the rest of the group. "Plus, I sorta promised you guys I'd tell you once we were inside the village." She sat down, and gestured to the others to sit as well. The only one left standing was HK, who preferred to stand anyway.

After they were all seated, Mission began her story. "You see we met about four years back, not too long after the Jedi Civil war had ended. The slavers had stopped coming to Kashyyyk to try to take more Wookiees after Czerka was run out of here, but several Wookiees were still on the market to be sold as slaves. I got a lead a Trandoshan slaver who bought several Wookiees from Czerka and was trying to resell them himself. I was on my way to free them, but things got complicated. It turns out the creep was part of a bigger group of professional slavers, a particularly large and well armed group at that."  
"What, too much for you to handle Pigtails?" Toph teased her.  
"Hey, I'm good, but when it's not just my own neck on the line I don't like to take chances, Tomboy." Mission shot back.  
Toph was about to launch herself and Mission again, but luckily Sokka was still holding on to her.  
"Okay. Let's just go back to the story before I take over."  
"Whatever," an annoyed said Toph as she crossed her arms and reluctantly conceded not to kill Mission.  
"Well, anyways," Mission continued, "long story short I ran into Wolf here along the way. I guess he was trailing the Trandoshans as well."  
"Why were you trailing the slavers?" Zuko asked Wolf.  
"Well, to be completely honest, they were the same slavers from back on Nar Shaddaa."  
Toph's eyes widened slightly when she heard this. "You mean that was the Red Eclipse?"  
"Yep, and Trax was the one heading the little operation to boot. Turns out he had found a little loophole in the deal I had made with the Red Eclipse back on Nar Shaddaa. According to him the deal only extended to human refugees, but not to Wookiees or any other nonhumans."  
Toph grinned. "So basically when diplomacy failed you decided to go into aggressive negotiations."  
"It goes without saying. Besides, I don't like to leave friends behind."  
"Anyways," Mission continued, "Wolf and I put our heads together and had those Wookiees set free and returned home in no time. I have to admit, I doubt I could've pulled it off any better if I had anyone else helping me."  
"What can I say," Sokka smugly stated, "I'm the idea guy."  
He barely got to finish that sentence before Toph knocked him down with another punch to the shoulder. "Well then idea guy, how about finding us some food and a place to sleep tonight?"

After the group's meeting with the Chieftain, Sokka stayed behind to explain their situation in order to get permission to venture into the shadow lands of Kashyyyk and find a guide for the journey.  
Mission led Toph and Katara through the village to her own hut to spend the night. Aang, Zuko and Borabus would be spending the night in Goruk's home while HK returned to the ship. Mission's home wasn't too far from the village centre and they soon arrived at a semi large hut no different from any other hut in the village. Mission then proceeded to let them in through the wooden, circular door.  
"Welcome to my humble home," she chimed. The inside of the hut was circular and in its centre was a stone fireplace that was prepared with dry wood. Moreover, it was adorned with simple wooden furniture, mostly seats and a table made out of carved tree trunks. There were also a few hammocks that served as beds, and a ton of high tech equipment that looked out of place in such humble village. To her credit, however, Mission did a much better job keeping her gear together than Sokka did. There were a few Wookiee crossbows and other blasters neatly placed on a durasteel gun rack. Some energy cells, med packs and various plasteel containers were carefully stacked on wooden shelves around the circular hut walls. Finally, Mission also had her own workbench at the opposite side of the door in the hut, but this workbench was very well organized with her tools and fusion cutters up on the wall directly behind it.  
Katara looked around the room and smiled as she placed her hands on her hips. "You sure could teach Wolf here a lesson on how to keep his living quarters clean."  
"Yeah," Toph added sarcastically with her own smile, "I think this place looks fabulous."  
Mission just placed her hands together in a mock high society fashion. "Thank you. I'm sure you'd love to show me how I should go ahead and redecorate the place. I was thinking of going with a nice shade of green, although maybe dark blue would be better, or maybe perhaps even plain chestnut. What do you think?"  
Toph scowled a bit, having taken offence to the shot at her blindness, but then smirked as a thought crossed her head. "Hmm, I don't know. Oh wait! We should get something that matches your natural color." She cracked her knuckles. "Tell me, what color do Twi'leks bleed, or should I just find out for you?"  
Mission just laughed at her.  
"What? Do you think I'm joking or something?"  
"No, it's just because I know you're not joking that makes it funny. I mean we've been at each other's throats ever since we met outside of Rwookrrorro. Heck, I think we could pass for sisters or something."  
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Toph became annoyed.  
"Sure it is Tomboy."  
This last comment was about to send Toph right at Mission, but what Mission said next stopped her in her tracks.  
"I mean, the only real family I ever had was Big Z." Mission said with a solemn face. "I mean sure I had a brother, but he was gone for the biggest part of my life and I don't even know where he is now."  
Toph suddenly found herself feeling sympathetic for the Twi'lek. After all, she had lost the closest thing she had to a brother too.  
"Sorry to hear that. I know how it is to lose family too. Heh, well I guess we weren't a real family, but it was all the same to me."  
"And I make three." Katara added. "Although I can barely remember what my own brother looked like."  
There was a brief silence between the three.  
"Yeah, but you're lucky to have Wolf around. He's sort of the goofy older brother you can't help but love even though he can be downright stupid at times." Mission laughed again.  
"Heh, you could say that again." Toph agreed.  
"Well, we better get going." Mission changed the subject. "There's going to be a celebration tonight and you guys wouldn't want to miss out on the local festivities. Trust me on that."  
"Is Wolf really that famous here?" Katara asked sceptically.  
"Nah, this is to celebrate the anniversary of when the Wookiees threw out Czerka. You guys are just lucky enough to show up when you did."  
"There's no such thing as luck." Katara responded. "There's just the Force."  
"Geeze, I had no idea there were Jedi that were this uptight. Even Revan and Bastilla were more laid back."  
Katara's face turned red and Toph laughed when she felt her friend's emotions shift. "You have no idea Pigtails."

The three left Mission's hut and soon found there way to the village centre. Really it'd have been hard to miss it even if you were an offworlder. It looked the like the entire village was gathered around the giant bonfire and the several smaller ones that had been lit around it. Wookiees were dancing to the beat of drums and those that weren't were feasting on the lavish meal that consisted of an unusually large amount of exotic fruits, meats, and local drinks.  
"Whoa," was all Toph could say.  
"You could say that again." Katara concurred.  
"Heh, you think this is something, just wait until they bring out the hard liquor. Then things will really get interesting." Mission told them.  
"Finally! All Wolf has on his ship is that pansy Andoan ale. A girl needs the strong stuff." Toph added.  
As they made there way closer to the central bonfire they saw the guys had already arrived. Borabus was sitting alone on a log that was being used as a bench; he seemed to be on alert as usual. Aang, Zuko and Sokka were sitting on an adjacent log and they were conversing about something. Goruk, the Wookiee who first met them on the landing pad was there with them as well. It wasn't until they got closer to them that they could here what the guys were talking about.  
"Come on Aang, it's not going to kill you to try it." Sokka was trying to talk Aang into trying something.  
"I don't know Wolf. The last time I tired it, well, things got a little out of hand."  
"That's putting it lightly." Zuko added as he shook his head.  
"Last time you tried what?" Katara asked the guys.  
"Oh, hi Katara." Aang said sheepishly. "Uhm, we were just talking about, well, uh…"  
"Calm down Aang." Sokka interrupted. "Geeze, I was just trying to convince him to have a taste of the Cortyg Brandy the Wookiees have here." He showed Katara large bowl of some clear caramel looking liquid that was next to him on the log. It had a strong smell that was somewhere between sweet and bitter.  
When Katara heard what Wolf was trying to convince Aang to do her eyes widened with fear and she pulled Aang off the seat and away from the brandy. "Are you crazy?! Aang can't have any kind of alcoholic beverage!" She cried hysterically.  
Sokka just looked at her like she was crazy. "Listen, I know technically he's 3 years underage, but come on. I mean it's not like I'm telling him too strip naked and dance or anything."  
Toph couldn't help but laugh at the irony of Sokka's statement. "Heh, actually you might be Snoozles."  
"Eh, what?" Sokka was genuinely confused and partially freaked out.  
"Well, you see, Aang can't hold his liquor. Even a drop of the stuff makes him a little, well, amusing." Zuko explained to Sokka while trying to fight back a fit of laughter.  
"I'll say. Like remember that time on Coruscant when he accidentally took a sip of that Tarisian ale that your uncle was saving for a special occasion Sparky? Man that was one fun party right…mmph" Toph didn't get to finish her sentence because Katara had covered her mouth.  
"TOPH! I'm sure Wolf doesn't need to know what happened." Then Katara turned to face Sokka with a stern look. "Right?" It was more of a threat than a question.  
Sokka raised his hands to defend himself from her stare. "Yeah, I'm good!"  
Toph pulled off Katara's hand looked at her with irritation on her face. "Party-pooper." After her short retort at Katara, Toph turned her attention back to the rest of the group. "Well, Aang may be a teetotaller, but is anyone else up for a drinking match?"  
"Hell no!" Zuko stood up and surrendered before he could be goaded into a challenge in which he had no chance of winning. "I'm not falling for that again. Last time I got stuck doing chores for you at the enclave for a month."  
Toph seemed slightly disheartened, but turned her attention to Borabus. "What about you Boring-bus? You feel like getting your butt whooped?"  
Borabus didn't even bother looking in her directions when he answered. "I don't drink on the job."  
"And you Pigtails?" Toph asked Mission. She didn't even bother asking Katara since she knew her well enough to now know her answer would be a definite 'NO.'  
"Sorry, but drinking games were never my forte. I'm more of a Pazaak player."  
Now she looked at Sokka's direction with her blind eyes. Her annoyed look had been replaced with a mischievous one. "How about it Snoozles? Think you can take little old me in a drinking match?"  
"Well, I was planning on getting drunk anyways, so why not?" He answered with his own mischievous smile. *Heh, this is going to be fun. She may be a Jedi, but I can hold my own against even the toughest Wookiee here.*  
Meanwhile, Toph was having her own victory thoughts. *This is going to be like taking candy from a baby. The poor sap doesn't know old Bumi taught me a thing or two about holding my liquor.*  
"Ok, so we have a match. I'll be the referee." Mission volunteered. "So what are the stakes?"  
'Hmmm," Sokka thought hard about what he would get when he won. *Lets see, Jedi don't usually have much when it comes to credits, so I'll just go with a humiliation prize.* "Okay, I got it! If I win you have to wear a dress for a whole day! A lady's dress," he stressed the last part to aggravate Toph further.  
Toph glared at him. *Oooohhhh, he's soooo going to regret that! Hmm, let's see, what should I make him do when 'I' win.* All of a sudden an idea came to her. "Okay, fine," she accepted with a strange smile that made Sokka cringe a bit, "but when I win you have to be my personal slave for a whole day. That means you'll have to do ANYTHING I say."  
"Done." Sokka agreed to the terms, but even he had to admit that the way she said 'anything' made him a little uneasy.  
"Okay, we have the wagers, now let the contest begin." Mission said, mediating the contest.  
Both contestants took a seat on opposite ends of a tree stump table that was to be the battle ground. Goruk appeared with two large, clay cups, well large to humans, and placed one in front of Sokka and Toph. Both were filled with a good amount of Cortyg Brandy, as Sokka and Toph stared each other down.  
"Ok, START!" Mission yelled out.  
Toph took the cup and gulped down the brandy in less than 4 seconds, something that was impressive even by Wookiee standards. "So, ready to give up Snoozles? Wait, what the?!"  
To her surprise, Sokka had finished his pint at about the same time she did. "Give up?" He said wiping his mouth with his coat. "I'm still thirsty."  
She didn't have to be able to see to know he was flashing a smug grin in her direction. "Heh, this might be more fun than I first thought." Toph grinned back.  
Goruk refilled the cups in front of the two and they both gulped them down just like before. Now, however, both Toph and Sokka were being more cautious and taking their time with their drinks. This went on for a while, and it soon became far longer than any drinking match anyone had seen up until then. The contest between the two had gained the attention of several Wookiees who were now gathered around them and cheering for their preferred winner.  
"Uhm, how much have they both had?" Katara asked Mission. She was starting to get worried they were going to lose one of the two to alcohol poisoning, namely Wolf.  
"With this drink, it'll be 17."  
"What?!" Katara's eyes shot wide open with shock.  
"A piece, that is." Mission finished.  
At this point both contestants were starting to show signs of exhaustion, and inebriation.  
*Okay, okay. You got this down Sokka. She's at her limit, I can feel it! Oh, geeze, but I'm at my limit too. I'm so going to regret this tomorrow, if I survive that is.*  
*Come on Toph! Don't quit on me now! You go the Force with you. *gurgle* Oh man…but it looks like there's only so much alcohol I can break down in my system with it, and I'm done. Geeze, what's with this guy?! Shouldn't he be dead or something? This stuff is much stronger than anything I've had before after all, I mean there's no way he can take as much as me! Damn! There's no way I'm going to give him the satisfaction of beating me at a drinking game! Me, the record holder for most Tarisian Ales drunk in one galactic standard hour!*  
Both of them were starting to get woozy and they showed it.  
New sets of cups filled with the brandy were placed in front of them.  
"You ready to give *hic* up yet Snoozles?" Toph manage to slur out in a barely audible sentence.  
"Heh, you *hic* wish." Sokka also tried to sound confident, but it came out just as bad as Toph's slurred speech.  
Again they sluggishly gulped down another hit of the brandy and slammed their cups onto the table. It seemed like they could go on, that is until both of them lost their balance and fell to the floor simultaneously after that drink.  
"That's match, uh, I think?" Mission announced confusedly.  
The match was indeed over since both competitors were out cold, having finally succumbed to the powerful effects of Wookiee liquor. Everyone around them was a bit confused as to who had won, and who had lost. Katara was just thankful that neither of them had actually died after consuming so much hard liquor.  
After the little, Zuko and Aang carried Wolf back to Goruk's place to spend the night while Mission and Katara carried Toph back to Mission's.  
"So, I know how Wolf handles a hangover, but what can we expect from Tomboy here?" Mission innocently asked Katara as they carried Toph between the two. "Something tells me she's not exactly a morning type person to begin with."  
Katara's face seemed to go pale, if only for a second. "Toph's not exactly an afternoon person to begin with," she admitted. "So all I can tell you is that it would be best if you didn't say ANYTHING to her at all for the first few hours or so of her hangover."  
"That bad huh?" The Twi'lek inquired.  
"It's how Jedi Master Bumi got his eye the way it is."

--- Nar Shaddaa, three days earlier ---

At the same time Sokka and the others were on route to Kashyyyk, there enemies were beginning to gather at the scent of their trail.  
A few days after the debacle at the Vagrant's Paradise, the bar had changed little. In fact the owner didn't even bother to fix up the place. Apparently years of similar incidents had taught him to invest less on décor and more on alcoholic beverages. The only things that he had bothered to clean up were the bodies and the tables.  
All this, however, was of little concern to the group of four young women who had chosen to make the bar their rendezvous. Ironically, they had chosen the same booth the group before them had designated as their conversation area. On one side of the booth sat June, the intrepid bounty hunter, although now her formidable appearance had lost its edge with metal framed cast on her right leg. Opposite of her sat Azula, the cruel and efficient apprentice to the Dark Lord. She was wearing a dark cloak that hid her imposing light armor. The armor itself was metallic, mostly black with the exception of a few crimson streaks that outlined its framework, and it was comprised of a breast plate, greaves, and bracers.  
Beside Azula were her ever-faithful followers, Mai and Ty Lee. Mai had on some elegant, long, and gothic looking Sith robes that matched her personality almost perfectly. Ty Lee on the other hand wore a two piece blood red outfit. The upper part was a simple long-sleeved shirt that was too short to cover her belly, although that was undoubtedly her own choice. The lower portion was a pair of slightly baggy pants that ensured max flexibility. She also had on a simple pair of blood red, cloth bracers and a pair of shoes that seemed to be little more than ballet shoes.  
"So it seems we were a bit too careless in our selection of bounty hunters." Azula casually stated.  
"That's putting it lightly." June sneered back at her while she took a drink from her bottle of liquor. "That bastard Borabus got the drop on me when I had that two bit merc right where I wanted him, and then he had the audacity to let him and his Jedi allies go."  
"Come now June," Azula smirked, "if you really had things under control then you wouldn't be sporting that cast on your right leg."  
June didn't reply, but her sour expression and the crack that was beginning to spread on the bottle in her left hand said enough.  
"In any case," Azula continued, "nothing has changed. That mercenary is still our primary goal. Whoever his travelling companions are doesn't matter to me in the least."  
"You see, it's thinking like that that allowed our quarry to escape." June said. "That merc is no fool, although he certainly acts like it most of the times. He was smart enough to evade the best bounty hunters you could throw at him so far, and now he as Borabus and four Jedi backing him up." June paused for a bit before she hit the main point of her speech. "If you're not careful the Jedi are going to get first dibs on whatever he's after."  
Azula's expression became slightly annoyed. "Spare me the useless chatter and just come out and say what it is you really want."  
"Fine!" June slammed down her bottle on the table. "I want another crack at that bounty, and more than that I want payback on both Wolf and that bastard Borabus!"  
A cruel grin spread over Azula's face. She could feel June's rage and humiliation. All the bounty hunter's thoughts seemed devoted to revenge, and this pleased Azula. Such emotions were useful to her in many ways. For one it ensured cooperation, and secondly, it ensured efficiency.  
"All right." Azula agreed. "We could use your expertise in these matters after all."  
June let a vicious grin of her own form on her face. "Of course, I expect adequate compensation for my time when this is over."  
Azula laughed when she heard this, but not in a mock way. "You certainly are bold to try and haggle a Sith, but I like that. These days it's hard to come across such daring characters."  
"Then perhaps I can make your day."  
The group of women casually turned to the entrance of the Vagrant's Paradise. At the doorway there stood five Trandoshans. The one at the front, who was obviously the leader, was the one who had spoken.  
"And who might you be?" Azula asked the leader nonchalantly.  
The Trandoshan took a few steps forward to get in for a closer conversation. '(I am) Trax of the Red Eclipse."  
"Oh, and what business does a slaver want with the Dark Lord's Apprentice?" Azula knew when it was safe to reveal herself to others, and this was one such occasion.  
"I hear you're after a certain mercenary that goes by the name of Wolf." The Trandoshan replied.  
"And what if I am?"  
"Then I'd be more than willing to lend my services, for a fee that is."  
Normally Azula would've ended the conversation then and there, and in a rather violent fashion. However, there was something she sensed about this Trandoshan that kept her interest. It was hate.  
"Go on." Azula told him.  
"I want to be the one to kill that bastard, and his little schutta too!" Malice practically dripped from Trax's words.  
"Tell me," Azula grinned, "why are you so adamant about this?"  
Trax just snarled, but not at Azula. "Wolf's 'intervention' on behalf of the refugees here has left the Red Eclipse weak and neglectful of its true purpose! We aren't spice runners, we're slavers! That is how it has always been and how it always should be!"  
"And what about this 'schutta' you're referring too?" Azula continued to pry.  
"Wolf's little girlfriend. She humiliated me in front of my men! Nobody does that to Trax of the Red Eclipse; especially a blind half pint!"  
Azula's evil grin never left her face once. She could feel the Trandoshans emotions as he spoke, and she could see his very soul through his eyes. He was the kind of individual who loved to enforce his will on others, to break them. That's what drove him. This, however, had been taken away by Wolf, and it fuelled his hatred for the man. Azula knew that she could count on this emotion to empower, but most importantly, to control. As such she welcomed it.  
"Interesting, but hardly worth my time." Azula waved him off like a common thug. "I've no need for hired muscle." She continued to agitate the Trandoshan.  
Trax, in turn, took the bait hook, line and sinker. "You underestimate them girl." He snarled with a low but menacing voice. "If it truly was so easy to capture Wolf, then why is he still roaming the galaxy at his whims?" Trax's last comment was both patronizing, and foolish.  
Azula also knew when to keep her calm, but this was not one of those times. She quickly reached out with her left hand and caught Trax in a stranglehold from a distance by using the Force. His men were surprised at first but quickly responded by aiming their blasters at Azula. However, in one swift movement of her arms, Mai sent a barrage of blades at the Trandoshans. The blades hit their marks and the blasters fell to the floor, neatly cleaved in two. Normally Mai would've killed them, but she understood that since Azula had not already done that herself it meant that she wanted them alive, at least for the moment.  
"Just who do you think it is you're talking to?" Azula stated more than asked in a clam but potent voice. "You may have dealt with Jedi before and lived to tell the tale, but I can assure that Sith are not as merciful." She lowered her release on the Trandoshan with a quick downward slice of her hand. Trax hit the floor still choking from the strong grip Azula had just held him with. "Speak to me that way again and you'll be lucky if I grant you a quick death."  
Trax was getting to his knees, but he gave her a solemn nod to show her he understood his place. The Trandoshan slaver had few things he actually feared, and now Azula had made it to the top of his list. Rather than discourage him, however, he found it intriguing. He understood that like himself Azula had a knack for breaking people, and this made her all the more alluring to him.  
"Very well Mistress." Trax responded.  
"Good." Azula replied with a cold smile. "Now was there something else you wanted to say?"  
"Actually yes there is. I already told you I'd be willing to offer my services and those of my men in exchange for a small fee and the pleasure of being the one to end Wolf, but what I didn't say was what else I could offer you."  
"And that is?" Azula asked with an annoyed tone of voice.  
"The location of where Wolf and his party were heading."  
The Dark Lord's apprentice maintained her composure, but it wasn't difficult to see that Trax had caught her interest. "Go on."  
Trax grinned once he could tell he had caught her attention. "You see Mistress, by nature we Trandoshans are natural hunters. As such, it was easy picking up Wolf's scent and the scent of his woman to a certain abandoned landing platform. Wolf was for once careless because he obviously didn't expect the Red Eclipse to be monitoring the platforms for incoming and departing vessels."  
"So you're telling me you had a spy navicomputer monitoring his ship's trajectory when it left orbit and made the jump to hyperspace?"  
"That's exactly what I'm saying Mistress."  
"Hmm, perhaps you will prove useful after all." Azula said as she laughed coldly. "Now tell me; where was he headed?"  
"Dantooine."

**Ok, hope you liked this chapter guys. I really wanted to do something with Wookies, and here we are. Plus the touch of Tokkaness was fun too lol. Oh, and kudos to anyone who recognizes Mission and Zalbar from the first Knights of the Old Republic game. I want to add some more classic characters, but that may have to wait until he second part. **

**Read and review please : )**

**Disclaimer: I obviously dont own Avatar or Star Wars, but I dont want to get my stories deleted : P**


	15. Chapter 14: Into the Shadows

Riddles and Reasons

Chapter 14:

Into the Shadows

The morning after the Wookiee's festivities the group, which consisted of everyone from the Lunar Wolf plus Goruk, was allowed passage into the lower recesses of Kashyyyk's mighty forests, the Shadow Lands. They were named as such because the only light the forest floor ever saw was that of certain indigenous plants that gave off a natural glow. For all intents and purposes, the Shadow Lands were the abyss of Kashyyyk and few who ventured there ever returned to the surface.

To reach the forest floor the party had to descend via large wooden elevator the Wookiees of Rwookrrorro built and maintained decades ago. The elevator was about 20ft in diameter and had wooden rails and a canopy to make the descent as enjoyable as possible for its occupants. However, the trip was by no means pleasant, least of all for Toph and Sokka. Both of them were paying the price for the consumption of so much Cortyg Brandy at the celebration the night before, and an hour long ride on a slightly rocky wooden elevator to the Shadow Lands wasn't the best place to deal with a hangover.

Sokka was on holding onto the rails as he had his head over the edge of the elevator and was throwing up. "O…*urff*..kay. That's the last time I'm going to have Cortyg Brandy, well, at least for a while." He said wiping his mouth with his coat sleeve.

"Heh, that's what you get for going up against the champ." Toph gloated as she sat with her legs crossed near the center of the elevator. She didn't like heights all that much, so she didn't want to take any chances being closer to the edge, especially considering she had one mother of a hangover as well. Still, she was doing a much better job keeping it in check than Sokka was.

"Well excuse me 'champ,' but if I remember correctly it was a draw." Sokka shot back with a slightly self-satisfied look on his face.

"You wish Snoozles!" The young Jedi held her ground.

"Oh yeah, well then I guess if I did this, then it shouldn't bother you at all. Am I right?" As soon as he shouted that out, Sokka jumped up and hit the floor of the elevator hard on contact. It made the platform rock slightly, but that was enough to send Toph over the edge, almost literally! She had to bring her right hand over her mouth to keep herself from puking right there and then quickly crawled to the edge to release it.

"Hah! I knew it!" Sokka beamed. "You're just as trashed as I am." Just as he finished boasting though, he too had to run back to the edge to throw up again.

Goruk, who was their guide for the passage into the Shadow Lands, growled something at Sokka.

"Yeah, yeah, I know Goruk. I won't rock the elevator again." Then he laughed. "But it was so worth it."

"You think so huh?" Toph had gotten up, using the wooden rail for balance, and looked like she was about to throw Sokka off the edge. Fortunately for him, Katara and Aang held her back.

"Whoa, hang on there Toph! We don't want to kill him just yet." Katara scolded. "I swear it's like babysitting younglings."

Following what seemed like an eternity on the elevator, they finally reached (their) destination, the Shadow Lands. All around, (delete: them) they were greeted by the bases of the enormous wroshyr trees, easily as thick as any skyscraper they had ever seen. The ground was moist, soft, and full of dead foliage while smaller plants, glowing fungi and even a few monkey-like critters adorned the bases of the trees. Additionally, all the plant life and humidity created a permanent and thick mist throughout the Shadow Lands.

Goruk took a spare lantern that was on the elevator and lit it. He howled some instructions to the rest of the party and then began guiding the way through the darkness and the shadows. Sokka and the others followed him.

"Mind translating that?" Aang asked Wolf.

"He said stay together, stay quiet, and watch where your step. We don't want to become lunch."

"Ah, I thought so. Still working on my Shyriiwook, but it's getting there." Aang replied.

"Heh, you're a quick study Aang, but this might not be the best place for study time."

"Oh, right!"

They continued moving through the shadows of the planet, not exactly sure of where they were going. Goruk, however, seemed to know exactly what he was doing, so they weren't too worried.

"Uhm, dumb question here, but do you know where we're headed Goruk?" Zuko asked the young Wookiee.

Goruk only slightly turned his head to answer him with the usual howls and grunts. Zuko just turned to Wolf with a slightly annoyed look that said 'translation please.'

"He knows where to go. Actually, Zalbaar already knew where the Star Map was."

"Guess that makes sense," Zuko resplied. "He was one of Revan's traveling companions after all, so he was probably with him when Revan found it on Kashyyyk the second time around."

"Looks like things are finally starting to look up." Aang rejoiced.

"Unfortunately that's usually a sign that things are about to get really ugly." Sokka grumbled. "Believe me, I speak from experience."

They traveled for some two hours in the darkness of the Shadow Lands with only the light of Goruk's lamp and the glow of some indigenous fungi for illumination. For some reason, however, the only ones seeming to take an interest in them where the little four armed monkey creatures called Tachs. All the usual predators were nowhere to be found for some reason.

"Ok, things are going great so far; I'm officially starting to freak out now." Sokka stated in a worried voice.

"What's matter Snoozles, too used to having to use an infirmary after every escapade you have?" Toph teased him.

"Well, actually yeah. The universe likes to remind me that it hates me, and every time it takes a break it just means it's cooking up something particularly nasty." He paused for a moment. "This is just like that time that Yue and I…"

"The time Yue and you did what?" Katara asked him a low but strong voice.

Sokka was genuinely flabbergasted; apparently he wasn't aware that he had been thinking out loud when he spoke. "Uh, well, it's compli…" Suddenly the berated mercenary was interrupted by Toph.

"Quiet guys!"

"Stay out of this Toph!" Katara defended herself.

"No, not that Sugar Queen; I thought I heard something, something big."

"Statement: I believe she is right Master." HK acknowledged.

The whole group went silent and alert, but for all there training and experience, (none) of them heard so much as a snapped twig or the rustle of dead leaves. It was eerily quiet.

"Are you guys sure you heard something?" Katara asked skeptically. "I can't feel anything through the Force except a few Tachs.

"Mocking Statement: No meat bag, we just decided to pretend to hear something simultaneously to get you to keep quiet."

By now Katara had learned to tune out the Assassin droid's condescending remarks and instead turned her attention to her friend. "Toph, are you sure you didn't just imagine it."

Toph seemed to be ignoring Katara and instead focusing on her surroundings. "No Katara, I'm positive I heard something, but it's gone now."

Goruk was sniffing the air trying to catch the scent of whatever may have been out there, but even he couldn't find it.

Finally they decided to proceed more cautiously towards the Star Map at a quicker pace. The Jedi had long ago learned not to second guess Toph's keen senses, and if there was something lurking in the shadows then it was particularly dangerous since the rest of the Jedi couldn't so much as catch a hint of it.

About half an hour later the party found themselves at a small clearing amongst the enormous trees. The area was at a slightly lower elevation than its surroundings, so it almost seemed like a small and wide pit. This, however, was not the most peculiar thing about the area. What was really unusual was that the star map was at its center flanked on all four sides by some kind of alien technology that looked like some sort of spherical pumps or silos. It could've been agricultural equipment if not for the more recently installed computer panel that was connected to the Star Map. The machines didn't seem active, but they were emitting their own light source that illuminated the surrounding area with a strange yellow-green light.

The group cautiously made their way towards the star map, half expecting the machines to come to life at any moment.

"Well, this is new." Zuko casually commented.

Goruk howled something in Shyriiwook, although he seemed a little on edge.

"I see." Sokka responded.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked him.

"Goruk's having a hard time accepting that this place exists."

"Why is that?"

"Well, because of what Zalbaar told us we would find here. The truth about Kashyyyk."

"Which is?" Toph asked.

"That this planet came to be the way it is because of a fluke."

"What?"

"Apparently when Revan found this place years back the computer had information regarding an 'agricultural experiment' conducted by the Rakata that had accidently overshot it's intended output."

"Wait. You're telling us that the Rakata used this place as a farm world but they used too much miracle growth?" Katara asked skeptically.

"In a nut shell, yeah," Sokka replied casually.

"Man, I swear that I've seen more than I've bargained for on this trip, and we're not even halfway done!" Zuko cried.

Sokka just shrugged. "Strange things happen to me. Sort of comes with the territory of having known Revan I guess." Then he turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "Well, lets get this over with."

The young mercenary walked up to the computer panel and the keys softly glowed and hummed to life. It seemed as if it had been expecting him to come and activate it, and considering what happened on Dantooine, he had a good idea why.

The computer keys flashed in a variety of patterns until they all became lit and a small holo projector ignited above them. An alien being appeared in a hazy blue format that suddenly became solid in appearance; the alien wasn't like any anyone in the group had ever scene. It was bipedal and had a lanky yet still muscular form with long arms and legs. Its head was long and oval shaped and it had two projections on both sides of it that looked somewhat like a flattened hammer. At the tips of these extensions there were two large eyes that weren't too different from a human's. Additionally, it wore a simple but elegant armor set that consisted of a shoulder less breastplate with a pair of bracers greaves. The alien definitely had the appearance of an amphibious creature, albeit an extremely intelligent one.

"So this is what the Rakata looked like." Sokka said more to himself than the others.

"Gee, I wouldn't know." Toph stated rather annoyed.

"Oh, uh, sorry" Sokka said as he tried to apologize with a sheepish look that he once again realized was wasted on Toph.

"Welcome to the user interface," the hologram welcomed Sokka in Galactic basic. It was obvious Revan programmed the computer to be more compatible with modern linguistics. "Please wait while we verify your identity." The computer gave off a slight hum once again as it analyzed Sokka through some unknown means.

"Well, at least this one is more user friendly than the last one." Toph muttered.

"Well, the little alien projection and the friendly voice do help." Sokka laughed.

"Identity confirmed. In order to activate the Star Map please answer the following questions."

Toph blew some of her bangs from her face. "Well, so much for the user friendly part. This thing already recognizes you and it still wants to annoy us with a game of '20 Questions."

"Why would Revan do that?" Katara inquired. "I mean the machine knows it's you, so why waste more time with these questions?"

"You got me?" Sokka answered her honestly. "Last time the droid on Dantooine asked me questions to figure out it was me, but it looks like this computer is stingier with the Star Map."

"First question," the computer began its examination. "You are the commander of a battalion that has been sent into the front lines against your enemy. The battle has been long and taken a toll on both your and your enemy's forces. You are now faced with the choice of continuing to fight or retreating. If you continue to fight victory is almost certain, however, you will lose over half of your remaining men. If you chose to retreat you may regroup with your allies and begin the assault anew, however, this will also give your enemy the opportunity he needs also regroup and refortify his position. What do you do?"

Sokka crossed his arms and slightly lowered his head in deep thought. He knew what the correct answer was, any tactician would, but would it be the right answer? Was Revan truly testing his tactical abilities with mediocre combat scenarios like this? No, it was obvious that what his former mentor was really testing was his character.

"The answer's obvious." Katara stated. "You have to fall back and regroup. There's no sense in wasting any more life on reckless attack that might not work."

"Yeah, Katara's right Wolf." Aang agreed. "If you fall back and regroup you can come in even stronger than before."

"Well," Zuko cut in, "a Sith would obviously continue the attack, and Revan was probably still a Sith when he reprogrammed this thing. I'd have to say he'd want you to attack."

"Statement: Master, I would agree with that plan of action. Retreating was never one of Revan's strategies unless it was to set a trap, and since this scenario gives only the enemy time to set a trap it would be illogical not to attack."

"Says the assassin droid," Katara reprimanded him.

Toph was quiet the whole time. Her face was serious and attentive to what Sokka's response would be. She knew what she would have done, but this decision was obviously for Sokka to make and not her or any of the others. More importantly, however, she was beginning to suspect that these questions would have nothing to do with military strategies, but rather with character. More importantly, she for one wanted to see what Sokka would reveal about himself.

After a few more seconds Sokka opened his eyes and looked up at the hologram as if it were truly alive, and he gave it his answer in a firm unwavering voice. "I chose to attack."

"What?!" Katara shrieked. She, Aang and Zuko were all shocked at Wolf's choice. "Are you crazy?! You'd sacrifice more of your soldier's lives so rashly?"

"It's my test Katara, not yours." Sokka responded without even looking back. "I know what I would do in that situation."

Katara seemed slightly taken back by the mercenary's unyielding decision on the matter.

The Rakatan hologram took only a few seconds to analyze Sokka's choice. "That is correct. By attacking you ultimately save more lives that by retreating. If you were to have retreated you would have had to attack the same position again. You would have had more manpower, but the enemy would've have also reinforced himself. In the end you would only be repeating a similar battle and wasting more lives than if you had attacked in the first place."

Nearly everyone was dumbstruck by what had just happened, well everyone except Toph who had a wide grin on her face, HK who enjoyed the prospect of violence, and Borabus who had neither spoken for or against Sokka's decision.

"Well, I guess that makes sense actually." Aang finally broke the silence with his remark. "But how did you know that was the right answer?"

"I didn't. All I knew is that that is what I would've done."

Katara's interested had begun to take peak now. She was wondering why exactly Wolf had decided to attack, and like if he read her mind he answered.

"You don't add insult to injury, and that's exactly what I would've done to my men if I were in that situation and retreated." Now he turned back to face the group with a serious look in his eyes. "Soldiers are meant to protect, not to be protected. They bleed on the battlefield so that their friends, loved ones, and comrades don't have to. Every soldier knows this; they know that and they'll give their lives up if it means they can accomplish it, so retreating isn't always an option."

Sokka turned back to the computer and began the next question while the others contemplated what he had just said.

"Second question," the Rakatan hologram continued. "You are the acting commander of the army and have just cracked your enemy's communication's code. However, you have just learned that they will be launching a major offensive against a civilian planet. If you choose bolster that planet's defenses and prepare for the attack your enemy will know that their code has been compromised and you will have wasted your biggest opportunity to end the war quickly. Will you defend the planet, or wait for the opportune moment to attack using this new intelligence?"

"Looks like Revan didn't want to make things easy on you, huh?" Zuko rhetorically asked Sokka. "I mean in the long run you'll end up saving more civilian and military lives if you decide to let the planet fall, but should you really make that kind of sacrifice?"

Sokka didn't say anything; again he seemed to be in deep thought. Katara felt certain that she knew what his answer was going to be. The previous question had showed her how cold and logistical he would have to be to pass this test.

"Of course he would." Katara stated flatly. "He was Revan's pupil remember? And apparently Revan's checking to see if he can still remember to be as heartless as he was in the war. After all, how many planets did he let fall to the Mandalorians so that he could better defend more 'valuable' planets?" Sokka just seemed to ignore her.

"Hold on," Aang interrupted with a slight flicker in his eyes. "Can't you just send some of your forces to defend the planet while attacking simultaneously? I mean I know Revan attacked the Mandalorians from all sides using the advantage of his numbers. Why not do the same here?"

"Because it's not the same kid," Borabus spoke up for the first time all day. "When Revan attacked from different fronts it was hit and run tactics or flat out feints. He very rarely launched a true assault with such risky tactics."

"Huh, but why not?"

"Because he'd have risked stretching his lines too thin Aang." Sokka answered him, although he was still in partial thought or perhaps reminiscence. "We had the Mandalorians outnumbered 3 to 1 throughout most of the war, but even then, one of them was worth nearly 5 of our soldiers. Moreover, even if that weren't the case, stretching your manpower and resources out like that will only weaken both efforts. You have to concentrate your efforts on one or the other or risk losing everything." Now Sokka turned his attention back to the hologram. "I chose to defend the planet."

Again, most the people in the group were stunned by his decision. This was mostly because it was the exact opposite of what he had already done in the last scenario he had been given. Nevertheless, Toph, Borabus, and even Goruk seemed to be expecting this.

Katara almost had her mouth drop open before she composed herself and questioned the mercenary's reasoning. "Okay, why did you do that?"

"What? Are you disappointed?" Sokka snickered.

"You know what I mean!" Katara snapped back. "You did the exact opposite of what you had chosen to do in the last scenario. How could it have been the right choice if it was up to Revan?"

"Ok first off, both scenarios were completely different. In one I had the choice of protecting soldiers, and in this one I had the choice of protecting civilians. You may think that Revan would have left them to die, but you're wrong Katara." The tone of his voice revealed that he was both saddened and infuriated about having to explain himself to her. "Yes Revan may have left several planets undefended against the Mandalorians, and yes he wouldn't think twice about sacrificing soldiers to win battles, but he never sacrificed the innocent. He always had the planets evacuated long before the Mandalorians arrived." Sokka paused for a bit to let what he just said register with Katara and the others. "As much as you want to believe it, we weren't all monsters, not until the very end at least."

"Final question," The hologram continued. "You have constructed a weapon of mass destruction capable of ending the war once and for all. By using this weapon you could save countless lives on your side. Using it, however, would also be nothing short of genocide against your enemies. Do you choose to use it, or do you stay your hand?"

Not even Katara commented about what Wolf should say after the argument they had just had. More importantly though, they understood that this question was referring to the Mass Shadow Generator Revan had used to end the Mandalorian War once and for all. Now they were about to witness weather or not Wolf would make the same choice as his mentor.

"I choose…" Sokka seemed to be having hard time making up his decision, but then his tone and his features became unyielding and certain. "I choose to end the war."

His decision sent a wave of shock over his companions. Even Toph seemed pained when she heard his answer. Katara, who had in a way been hoping for an excuse to hate the man before her, also found herself at a loss for word as well.

"Your answer has been logged. Now commencing evaluation of character assessment; please stand by." The hologram disappeared and the computer that had projected it began to hum softly.

Up until then no one had said a word, but it was Aang who finally broke the silence. "Wolf, how could you? There are some lines you don't cross, even in war."

Wolf didn't even bother looking away from where the hologram had originally been projected to. "What's the only absolute in war?" He asked Aang and the others.

"Sacrifice," Toph answered solemnly

"Exactly, and that's another thing every soldier knows instinctively."

"But you weren't sacrificing yourself; you were sacrificing your enemies!" Katara scorned him. "How is that a noble sacrifice?!"

"Who said anything about it being noble?" He answered her calmly. "Yes it's cruel, calculating, and even malicious on some level, but in the end they're dead and my men and I are not. You can call me a monster, a coward, or both, and maybe you're right. Let me tell you this though, it's easy to call it an atrocity when you're sitting at home and watching it happen on the holo-net or at your temples mediating. If you actually fought on the front lines and saw your best friends get shot to hell, had them die in your arms while they pleaded for you to tell their families that they loved them, or had to endure the agony of knowing that every time you came back from the front it would be with less of your 'family' then you'd have the right to call it an atrocity! Sacrifice in war doesn't just mean giving up your life; it also means giving up part of your soul so that others don't have to." He stopped for a bit to catch his breath, and the group could also see that his eyes were starting to glisten with the tears he was holding back despite his hard look. "And the irony of it all is that the first ones to condemn you for it are the 'innocents' you gave up your soul for back home."

The mercenary's words put an abrupt end to all further questions and reprisals that the others may have had for him. Even Katara found herself slightly ashamed for the way she had been treating him. This was due largely to the fact that for once she took the time to feel beyond his words and into his very soul with her powers, similarly to what Toph had always done around him. What she saw was sincerity and enough guilt to drown a hundred lives in.

Again a silence permeated the party. No one said anything for what seemed like forever. The thing that finally broke the silence was Rakatan hologram that had reappeared. "Identity confirmed. You are now free to activate the Star Map at your own discretion." As soon as the machine given them the okay to proceed, the Star Map in the center of the area activated identically to the one on Dantooine. The three arms that held the map's precious knowledge in a vice-like grip opened up and the spherical hologram generator floated up and began spinning exceptionally fast. Soon a full map of the galaxy sprang up into focus.

"Well, here we go again." Toph stated flatly. "Go do your thing Wolf, and don't make me have to smack you awake like last time," she forced a smile to give him courage.

Wolf, however, didn't even notice it as he sighed heavily and replied. "Okay, I'll try." He then removed the Sith Holocron from his side pack and held it up to the Star Map. Once again the holocron began to spin rapidly and levitated slightly; the Star Map then shot out a focused beam into holocron that was in turn directed into Sokka's forehead.

Darkness overcame him and for a second time he found himself drifting through bizarre visions. This time, however, he found some familiarity in what he saw. He was now aboard a Republic Hammerhead class capital ship surrounded by raw recruits. By the time Revan and his Jedi had joined the fight the Republic was in desperate need of new recruits and many of the ones standing before him were young, probably in there late teens or early twenties. Since time was a factor the soldiers often went through boot camp onboard the ships. At the moment they were all in the ship's large and mostly empty hangar that had been converted into a make shift training ground. The platforms used for bringing out fighter class ships from the lower part of the vessel were now raised and being used for combat training, while squads of young men were being drilled on the basics of how to handle and hold their blasters. Sokka couldn't help but feel the familiarity of his first time on a Repbulic capital ship. He had actually been younger than these recruits when he first signed up, but no were near as young as the recruits he saw walking with Revan. *_The children from last time!_* Suddenly the entire vision seemed to focus on the four youths and Revan. From what Sokka could deduce at least a year had passed because the children now seemed to be in their early teens, and clearly capable of holding their own in combat despite there age. *_So, did Revan actually train them to fight? They're way too young to be soldiers, unless…_*

Before he could even finish his thoughts everything grew dark and he found himself in a private chamber within the ship. From the looks of things the room had actually been one of the onboard crews' quarters that had been modified into a sort of simple barracks. It wasn't especially large, but roomy since all that was left in it were four beds that were at each of the four corners of the room. The rest of room was grey, barren durasteel. Sokka was only focused on the room briefly because the next thing he noticed were the four children seated on the floor around Revan standing in the middle of them; the children seemed to be in a Jedi meditative stance. *_So, that's why they seemed different; Revan's been training them as Jedi!_ _Wait?! I thought Jedi were only allowed to take on one Padawan, so why does he have four?! And for that matter, wasn't the only student he ever accepted Malak?_

"Know this young ones," the image of Revan spoke sternly to the children, "I will train you in the ways of the Force, but yours is not the path of the Jedi. This war has called upon you to be something more, something that a Jedi could never truly be; soldiers. Instead you shall be my right hand, my blade, in this conflict. Many would view my plans for you as dangerous, but they have not seen what I have. They have not seen your strength of will and compassion as I have. The darkest depths of the cruel planet in which I found you could never break you, and so I know you will not falter or fall to the darkness. Together we shall bring this conflict to a swift end and restore peace to this war torn galaxy! " Revan's words were powerful as they were charismatic; after all he always could inspire courage in others. The children also felt this charisma rejoiced and having found a new purpose with their new master.

*_Jedi as soldiers? Or rather, Jedi trained to exclusively for combat; now that is a bold plan. I'm sure the Jedi Council would have had a fit about this being nothing more than the corruption of the young and innocent, but then again... Why does something about this seem so, familiar? Wait!!! Now I remember! But why does Revan want me to know about Them?!*_

Suddenly everything went dark once again and Sokka found himself being pulled back into the present. Unfortunately for him, his return trip went about as rough as his first one.

"Uhm, is he going to be okay?" Sokka could hear a worried Aang asking about him.

"Yeah, he's just a drama queen," Toph responded, "but don't worry, I know how to snap him out of it. Just leave it to me!"

*Uh, oh!* Sokka thought to himself while in his semiconscious state. He did his best to get his body to respond, but reliving a stranger's memories took a heavy toll on both his mind and body. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Sokka managed to barely open his eyes in time to see a small but powerful fist punch him right in the face.

"Ah! Geeze! What the hell was that for?! Are you trying to make sure I don't get up?!" He scolded Toph, and was again treated to another complimentary punch in the face before he could even stand up. "Ouch! Why'd you do that again?! I was already up!"

Toph crossed her arms as she grinned maliciously at him. "Just to be safe; after all, you could end up waking up as someone else or something. We had to be sure it was you, and I know how much you like getting beat up by me."

"Beat up?" Sokka asked sitting down as he rubbed his nose to make sure it wasn't bleeding. "What the heck are you talking about? You never beat me up; you've just been sucker punching me while I've been unconciou…" Once again Toph decked Sokka with a fierce punch to the face and knocked him back into a coma.

"Well, looks like now he can't say you did it while he was unconscious," Katara giggled.

Goruk howled lightly at Borabus who was standing next to him. "You could say that again," the bounty hunter replied. "He really should learn when to keep quiet."

Almost an hour later, the group had already begun their trip back to the Wookiee elevator. All the while Sokka was nursing a black eye and serious headache that was only made worse by the fact that he still wasn't fully over his hangover.

"So this vision had the same children as the last one?" Zuko asked him.

"Yeah," Sokka replied glumly.

"I don't get it. Why would Revan show you visions of those children?" Aang asked. "I mean why now? I seriously doubt they have anything to do with the galaxy's situation at the moment. Plus, you've never even met them."

"I don't know," Sokka answered honestly, "but Revan was never one to make unnecessary moves. No. They're important somehow, and if they are who they think they are then things may have gotten a whole lot more complicated, if not worse."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Katara asked him. This time around she seemed more cheerful, most likely because the mercenary had just got the snot beat out of him by her younger friend.

"Have you guys ever heard of the Forsaken?" Everyone dismissed the name with casual no's, however, this name caught Borabus' attention. "Well, to be honest," Sokka continued, "I've never been to sure that they existed either. Until now that is."

"Ok, enough beating around the bush!" Katara's voice was hard and frustrated. "Spill it! Just who were the Forsaken, and just what does it have to do with these children in the visions?!" Despite her harshness, Sokka seemed unusually calm. "They were Revan's dirty little secret. A black ops unit he created during the Mandalorian Wars. No one knew who they were or if they even existed, not even Malak or I knew about them. Mostly it was just rumors whispered by the troops who claimed to have seen shadows of them on the battlefield."

"Mandalorian soldiers or ours?" Toph asked

"Ours. I doubt any Mandalorian who saw them ever lived long to tell about it."

"They must've have been something else if Revan kept them such a close secret." Zuko added. "In my time with the Sith I've heard nothing about them, and I'm sure my father wouldn't pass up such a valuable asset if he knew about them."

"Yeah, and I think I know why." Sokka continued. "Apparently those children in the vision were the Forsaken."

"What?! Revan used children of that age to fight his battles?" Katara was morally outraged. "If the Council had known about this they would've demanded Revan's removal from the front lines!"

"Probably, but that isn't even the half of it sis." Sokka caught himself before he said anything else. He had almost given away too much information in that last comment by accident. Luckily, Katara was in too foul a mood to have understood what he said or his reaction to the word 'sis.' "Ugh, I mean, theirs a lot more to them than just being children. They were trained by Revan as Jedi."

"Whoa, hang on there Meathead."

"Meathead? It thought I was Snoozles?"

"What, you prefer Snoozles?" Toph smirked

"No! I mean, it sounds better than Meat, aw just forget it!" * _I swear, this girl is going to be the death of me both physically and mentally! And dang it, Snoozles sounds cutter than Meathead, and…Aw crap! Here we go again!_*

"So how can you be sure they were Jedi, was it in the vision?" Aang asked Sokka.

These words brought Sokka out of his thoughts. "Actually yeah; Revan told them that what he would be teaching them would be dangerous. Apparently, they were trained with the intention that they would be nothing more than weapons to be used. Still, he seemed to have the utmost confidence that they could take it, and so did they."

"Either way, it was still awfully cruel for him to have trained them that way." Toph commented. "I mean, to be brought up knowing nothing but how to fight, it's just sad." Her words mirrored her cheerless mood.

"That's putting it lightly." Katara added. "That's not so different from the Sith."

"Yeah, but…"

"But what?" Katara asked the mercenary.

"From the way the children behaved, I'd say that they were happy."

"How could they have possibly of been happy to know that they would only be used as weapons?!" Katara questioned him.

"I don't know. They just seemed to be happy to know that they would be 'used,' that they would be needed. I guess, I guess it gave them purpose."

"Without purpose, what point is there in life?" This time it was Borabus who broke the silence.

"Exactly; I mean to live for nothing more than survival, I can't imagine a more…" Sokka suddenly caught off his words and quickly drew his sword. Borabus, HK and Goruk had also mirrored his actions and taken out his blasters. The others, not entirely sure what was happening, also took out their lightsabers and formed a defensive circle with the other four.

"What's wrong?!" Toph shouted to Sokka.

"Something's been stalking us!"

"What?! I haven't felt anything since that last time. How can you be sure?" She asked him.

"The breeze, it shifted slightly, but it was just enough time to catch the scent in the air."

"What scent?"

"Blood."

Toph was trained enough to not let fear overcome her, but the way Sokka said the word gave her a slight chill. She immediately focused on her sense of smell and sure enough she caught the faint but potent stench of blood. "You're right; it's faint but there's definitely blood in the air. This doesn't make sense though. I've been on full alert since we've been down here, but I haven't felt anything through either the Force or simple vibrations."

"Me too." Katara added. I haven't felt anything particularly dangerous down here, and I still don't for that matter."

"Ok, then we are seriously screwed!" Sokka complained. "Whatever this thing is it's smart enough to stay upwind, use the trees, and it can hide it's presence from Jedi!" A bead of sweat rolled down from his forehead onto his left cheek. "And I have a bad feeling I know what it is."

"Ok, then lay it on us Meathead…" Toph's train of thought was violently interrupted by a stream of malevolent emotions. It was enough to make her cringe. She could feel the malice, the desire to kill, dismember, and feed as strongly as if the very air around her was saturated with the intent to kill. Aang, Katara, and Zuko felt it too. As soon as the emotions came, however, they vanished. It was trying to use terror tactics to through them off. To the Jedi's credit, they controlled their fear, but even they had to catch their breath like if a bucket of cold water had just been spilled on them.

"Wha-what was that? I've never felt anything like that before." Aang tried to say calmly.

"A Terentatek…" Sokka solemnly stated. Apparently his slight Force sensitivity had allowed him to feel some of what the Jedi felt.

"I-I never thought I'd actually face one of those." Zuko managed to sputter out. Aang and Katara just stayed quiet. They had all heard the stories of course; Terentateks were natural predators of the Jedi, and as such they were gifted with an inborn immunity to the Force and primal instincts that were virtually superior to a Jedi's precognition. In fact, historical accounts stated that just one Terentatek was more than a match for a full squad of Jedi Knights. No one knew for sure where they came from. Most believed that they were created by the Sith hundreds or even thousands of years back, but these were only suspicions. Supposedly they were wiped out during the Great Hunt decades back, but apparently the Jedi missed one.

"Any ideas on how to kill it?" Borabus asked them. "I've seen my share of strange creatures in this galaxy, but I must admit that I've never had the pleasure of meeting one of these yet."

"Sorry, they warned us about them in the Enclaves, but they never actually showed us how to fight them." Aang replied. "How about you Wolf?"

"Well, I've never seen one either. However, Revan's logs only mentioned what he knew about them through historical records. Apparently they may have originated from Rancors, so that means thick skin."

"Basically blasters are worthless then." Katara commented.

"You'd think so Jedi," Borabus responded, "but I've yet to meet a creature who's eyes and mouth my blasters couldn't pierce."

"That might work," Sokka agreed, "but I doubt he's dumb enough to leave himself open for that."

"No problem." Toph said in her usually confident voice. "He can't defend against both lightsabers and blasters at the same time right? So leave the hard part to us and you just make sure he gets some laser eye surgery. Is there anything else you can tell us Meathead?"

"Yeah; try to avoid close combat with him. Also, Terentateks have a strong resistance to the Force, but it's supposed to be similar to how you Jedi defend from Sith Force attacks."

"That means if we focus we can breach his defenses!" Aang chimed. "Finally some good news!"

"Don't get cocky Aang. Who knows how many Jedi thought the same thing before he had them for lunch. Just don't underestimate him." Sokka warned him.

"Right," Aang nodded.

They waited there with their weapons at the ready for some fifteen minutes, but the creature had yet to reveal itself. It must've known that it had obviously been detected, but it hadn't revealed itself. As powerful as it was, it was apparently smart enough to know when to wait for the kill.

"Geeze, this guy likes to take his time doesn't he?" Toph asked while obviously annoyed.

"It's because he's waiting for the right moment to strike." Sokka answered her. "Even the lowliest of beasts won't charge at their prey directly unless they see an opening or have some kind of plan."

"So, anyone have any ideas on how to get him out into the open?" Katara asked.

"I can think of one…" Borabus said.

Sokka sighed heavily; he knew what the bounty hunter meant, and so did the others.

"Okay, I'll do it. I'm the fastest here, so I should be fine." Aang volunteered.

"No! It's too risky!" Katara opposed his idea. "We have too…Wait! Stop!"

Aang didn't bother to listen to Katara's explanation as he broke from the group and ran towards a clearing in the trees wide enough to fight the Terentatek in. He knew Katara was right, but he also knew they had to lure the beast out of the open. As soon as he made it to the clearing he felt a shadow over his left shoulder and he instinctively somersaulted to his right. Aang dodged just as the creature's massive clawed hand scarred the forest floor beneath him. It had revealed itself.

The Terentatek was only about half the size of a rancor, but it was still huge at about 10 feet tall. Its body resembled that of the rancors, but only to an extent. The creature's leathery skin was slightly orange brown and had several giant spikes protruding from its dorsal side. Its hands were slightly disproportionately large with massive claws for fingers. Moreover, its head, unlike a rancor's, was triangular and seemed to almost meld with its back because of its short neck; it also had bone tusks coming out of the sides of its mouth. One of the few things it did share with its genetic predecessor was its razor-sharp teeth. Despite all of these imposing features, however, the thing that was most distinctive about the Terentatek were it's black eyes; they may have been similar in appearance to the rancor's, but they were cold, dark, and calculating. Obviously this was much more than a simple beast.

The others swiftly came to Aang's aid and surrounded the beast alongside him. "Okay, let's do this!" Toph charged in from the creature's left with Zuko coming in simultaneously from the right. The Terentatek countered by launching himself at Toph with surprising speed for something as large as itself. Toph quickly sidestepped the creature just in time to feel its claws miss her by mere millimeters. She then attacked the creatures still outreached arm with a lower diagonal slash from the saber in her right hand, but the beast anticipated this and quickly lifted its exposed right arm straight up while at the same time bringing its left arm in to impale her. Toph knew she was in trouble; she had used the momentum of her dodge to attack the creature, but that same momentum now made it impossible for her to recover in time and dodge its attack. Moreover, Zuko who was coming in from behind the creature wouldn't make it in time to help her. Just as the claws were about to end her though, Sokka came out of now where and tackled her to the floor.

Rather than continuing the attack against Toph and Sokka, the Terentatek mimicked Toph's strategy and used the momentum of its missed attack to quickly spin at 180 degrees to meet Zuko head on. Zuko cross slashed at the creature with his twin lightsabres, but the orange blades hit nothing air as his opponent pushed off the grown and leapt an incredible distance to safety away from the group.

"You really should be more careful." Sokka explained to Toph with a slight grin.

"Uh, and you should get off of me." She replied with a slight blush that her loose bangs thankfully covered.

With all his attention focused on getting Toph out of the way and then on the Terentatek, Sokka had forgotten that he was still on the floor on top of her. "Oh, right!" He quickly got back to his feat and gave her a hand up. "Uh, sorry about that, I just uh..." Sokka apologized rather awkwardly.

"Stow it Meathead. If you haven't noticed the bastard is still alive and all." Toph quickly tried to change the subject.

The rest of the group reformed alongside the two. They now stood facing the Terentatek. The beast still hadn't moved since he dodged Zuko's attack and it didn't seem to be doing much except snarling at them.

"What's he waiting for?" Zuko asked the others.

"He's sizing us up based on that joint attack you and Toph gave him." Sokka answered.

"What? But it's just a beast?!" Katara cried out. "No matter how keen its instincts are it's still just an animal. It can't possibly analyze the situation, can it?"

"Maybe, and maybe not, but I'd hate to get sloppy and killed because we underestimated it." Sokka responded keeping his own eyes locked the Terentatek's. "All the same, we also got a feel for his limitations and strengths."

"Like what?" Aang asked.

"Well for starters it looks like you lightsabres can hurt it." Borabus answered.

"Heh, my thoughts exactly." Sokka agreed. "Throughout the fight he had plenty of chances to deflect or counter them directly, but instead he dodged and avoided them. This means he knows he's vulnerable to them. Plus we also got a feel for his speed and reflexes, so I'd say we're about on even footing."

"Great, but how do we use that to our advantage?" Zuko questioned Sokka's optimism. "The fact that he just dodged our attack as easy as he did isn't good."

"Give me a sec. I just need to…"

"No time Meathead." Toph cut Sokka short. "It looks like he's not giving us a chance to prep."

She was right. The Terentatek came charging straight at them again. Borabus, Goruk, and HK moved up and opened up a barrage of blaster fire on the creature. This, however, didn't even slow its pace; it just shielded its face with its left arm and kept charging."

"Aang!" Katara called out to her best friend and partner. "I'm on it!" He responded as they both got in front of Borabus and the others. They simultaneously grounded their feet in a solid stance and pulled both arms back like if they were getting ready to push the Terentatek; then they released a massive wave of telekinetic Force energy at the beast. The wave was invisible except for ripples in the air that resembled heat waves, but the power it carried was equivalent to a great gale wind. The attack caused their enemy to stop charging, but that was all; it broke on him like a wave breaking upon a rock while the foliage around him was sent flying in all directions.

Seeing an opening, however, Borabus raised his left hand and fired a wrist rocket. Just as it was about to make contact the Terentatek swatted the projectile with his left hand like if it was a common insect and it detonated in the trees behind it. Still, seeing the ranged capabilities of its prey, the creature retreated into the trees for a surprise attack. The party reformed their defensive circle to defend against the next attack.

"Well that went well." Toph noted sarcastically.

"Our combined Force Wave didn't even through it off balance?! That's impossible!" Aang said incredulously.

"Yeah, I got to admit, I thought that was going to take him out." Sokka agreed, although glumly.

"Statement: It appears you were right Master; our blasters are ineffective against this enemy, as are the powers of the Jedi. Surprised statement: Although, I must say I'm impressed that it could deflect such volatile projectiles so easily."

Goruk howled at Sokka that they should fall back to the elevator to escape, but Sokka disagreed. "No can do buddy, that's just what he wants us to do. If we turn our backs to him and try to make it back to the elevator he's just going to pick us off one at a time as we go. No, our best chance is to take him here were we have room to fight."

"I agree." Borabus second Sokka's plan. "We're at a stalemate right now; we can't launch an effective attack against it, but at least he can't either."

"But that isn't too much better." Katara countered.

"You're right." Sokka admitted. "We can't hold out forever. We need to find a way to strike at him without him being able to defend himself, and I think I know how."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense Meathead. Out with it."

"It's simple; we have to tighten the noose. Make so that every attack and defensive measure he makes against us will be a risk in of itself. I mean, he may be on top of the food chain because of his instincts, but that doesn't matter if there's nothing he can do with them."

"Ok, but how do we do that?" Zuko asked him.

"Way ahead of you man." Sokka responded. "HK, did you bring those frag mines like I asked?"

While the group made discussed and made their preparations from their defensive position their enemy watched and waited for the moment to strike. Up until now it had been toying with them like a cat would with a mouse, although even it knew that these mice had teeth. This, however, only made the impending meal all the more savory.

It observed as the lifeless husk of steel handed the rest some small yet unsavory trinkets. Then it saw as the long-haired female used her powers to place them in a circular pattern around themselves while the spread out into groups of two and thinned their defensive capabilities. Instinctively it knew that these devices were a threat similar to the projectile the armored man had used against it; hence it understood that they were hoping for him to attack and fall for their trap. This would not happen. It surveyed its options and the pairs they were in. In one there was the armored man and the droid; too risky considering the armament they carried. Next it noticed the Wookiee and the male who smelled vaguely of the Force; because the male's sword and the Wookiee's bowcaster would not easily penetrate its hide, they were the most vulnerable. Nevertheless, they would hardly make a fitting meal compared to the others who reeked of the Force. Now it turned its attention to the more savory prey, the Jedi. In one group there was the smaller female with the scarred male; both were avid with their pairs of lightsabres, so they would pose a difficult challenge when attacking. Finally, it noticed the last pair, the long haired female the youngest male; it had yet to see their efficiency in close combat like the other two, but it knew they were powerful in Force based attacks. Knowing this it reasoned that their capacity for melee combat must be much weaker, and since Force attacks were worthless against it the creature knew that they would make for easier prey.

As the Terentatek circled around them to attack, the group was ready and waiting. The trap was set; all they had to do was wait for their enemy to make the mistake. Suddenly they heard the rustle of leaves from one of the trees and turned in time to see pieces of broken lumber rain down on them. The attack was easy enough to dodge, but that was because the creature wasn't aiming for them.

"Guys look out! He's aiming for the mines!" Aang manage to yell out before a cluster of mines exploded besides HK and Borabus. The primary explosion caused several other mines to detonate and soon dust and debris made it nearly impossible to see where each of them was.

As soon as the last mine had finished exploding the Terentatek emerged from its hiding place and moved through the chaos with ease. It leapt high in the air and was about to pounce on Aang and Katara when a yell came from the chaos.

"12 o'clock Sugar Queen!"

Katara turned and with a swift movement of her arms she sent the mines she'd been instructed to hold on to at the beast. The creature couldn't dodge in midair and was helpless against the assault; the mines struck it head on and sent it flying hard into the floor. As it struggled to regain its composure it became obvious that although the mines hadn't been enough to kill it that they had injured it quite severely. Its torso was covered in blood from a nasty wound on its left flank and its right leg was broken and bleeding.

By the time it was back on its feet Toph, Zuko, and Aang were all over it. Toph came in from its right side at the same time Zuko came in from the left like before; this time, however, it didn't have time to counter or dodge. Toph's sabers slashed him across the belly and Zuko's hit across his left arm. The Terentatek ignored the agony of its arm and focused on trying to keep it's intestines from spilling out with its left hand. It was completely helpless as Aang came in from above with his double-bladed lightsabre spinning almost fast enough to keep him airborne. Aang came down with a spinning vertical slash that would've ended the beast right then and there, but it wasn't finished just yet. Using its remaining good leg it jumped back at the last second and barely evaded death. This small victory was short lived because Katara had already gathered the remaining mines and sent them all flying at the creature. It couldn't dodge anymore, so it shielded itself with arms to try and survive it. All the mines went off at once in one grand explosion. It was over.

"Nice work everyone!" Sokka beamed.

"Yeah, and great plan Wolf; it worked like a charm!" Aang cheered. "But how'd you know it'd work?"

"It was simple really. You just have to put yourself in your opponent's shoes and figure what they'd do given the options. I mean it may have been smart enough to spot a trap, but it was still just a feral beast. There's no way it would've passed up such a tantalizing meal."

"So you're saying you had to pretend to be a mindless animal?" Katara teased him. "But then I guess that's nothing new for you." She laughed along with everyone else, except Borabus and HK, at her own joke.

Sokka's expression became annoyed. "Oh sure, laugh it up, but we'd of been a heap of trouble if I hadn't…" His words were once again broken, but this time by the return of the terrifying feeling; the intent to kill.

The Jedi felt it too, but they reacted far too slowly. The Terentatek emerged from the smoke and dust of the explosion that had supposedly claimed its life. Its body was bloody, broken, and should not of been able to move at all, but the creature's malice and strength of will drove it forward with deadly competence. It ran forward with a vicious speed at those nearest to it; Aang and Katara. Aang ignited his saber and was going to attack, but he creature's speed had returned and it hit him with the back of its left hand and sent him flying into a nearby tree.

"Aang!" Katara screamed as she saw him fall ungraciously. She knew he was alive, but he was still injured.

Now the creature lunged at Katara, the one most responsible for its current agony. She tried to jump back, but the Terentatek was too fast and it caught her in its broken right hand and threw her hard onto the floor. Katara looked up to see its claws descending upon her. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion, but she couldn't react in time to do anything. Her leg had been broken from her impact on the floor, her saber was nowhere to be seen, and her Force abilities couldn't help her. Moreover, Toph and Zuko were just out of reach and wouldn't be there in time to save her. *_This is It.*_ She thought. *_I'm not going to make it_.* Katara closed her eyes and calmly awaited the impending strike that would be the end of her.

There was a sickening crunch and then Katara felt the blood splatter on her face and body. What she didn't feel though, was the pain that she should of felt since she was still miraculously alive. She slowly opened her eyes to see exactly what had happened and gasped. Before her was Wolf with the Terentatek's claws imbedded in his chest. Apparently, the mercenary had tried to deflect the attack by holding his sword horizontally in front of himself to intercept the creature's claws while he leaned the sword in on his left bracer to better withstand the impact. It didn't go as smoothly as he had hoped, but then again, he probably knew he would end up taking the brunt of the attack with his own body to save her.

The only thing that ran through Katara's mind when she saw this was 'why.' Why had the man she had blamed for Yue's death so selflessly throw his own life away to save her of all people? Her, the person who made no effort to hide her contempt for him since the day they had met. It wasn't right.

Time seemed to stand still. The only sounds were the drip, drip, drip of blood coming from Sokka's fatal wound. To his credit, he didn't scream or show any signs of pain as he stared the creature dead in the eye. Additionally, the Terentatek wasn't without injury either. Its claws had been cleaved right down the middle as they hit against Sokka's sword, sadly though, this didn't' stop them from piercing his chest. After what seemed like an eternity, Sokka took a deep breath and coughed out some blood and a few words. "Wha-What's the matter you bastard? You, you seem shocked, heh, heh, *cough.*"

The Terentatek attempted to remove its claws from its victim's chest, but it found it couldn't. Whether they were stuck on the blade or in Sokka wasn't clear. All of a sudden, Sokka let a mighty roar out and it one swift motion of his blade he cut the beast's arm down the middle from claws to the elbow. The Terentatek reeled back in agony with its mutilated arm waving wildly. Up until now it had been frenzied and unable to feel pain, but the sudden shock brought it back to reality. Before it could shake off the pain, it felt a new gash across its chest. Sokka, despite his impossible wound, had lunged forward and slashed diagonally at the beast and pierced its thick hide. The creatures frenzy returned in spite of its grievous wounds and it swung its remaining left arm at Sokka. For a moment it seemed like Sokka couldn't move to avoid the attack, but he impaled the creatures hand with the tip of his sword and brought it a swift and painful halt. Then he quickly removed his blade and with lighting speed sliced the creatures hand clean off. Whatever fury the creature had was now long gone and for once it felt an emotion it had never known before, terror. This newfound emotion, however, was short lived. As soon as he had disarmed the beast, Sokka leaped up high above the creature's head and ran his sword so hard into its skull that it broke in half with one piece still in the beast. The resulting impact instantly killed the Terentatek once and for all.

The spectacle didn't last for more than ten seconds, ten seconds in which the whole group could only watch in disbelief at what had just happened. The Terentatek fell on its back with its arms and legs spread-eagled on the floor while Sokka just stood over it like if he had never been injured at all. Unexpectedly, however, fresh blood gushed out of his chest wound and what was left of his sword fell to the floor with a resounding clang. He then fell to his knees and then face forward onto the ground.

Having felt him fall, Toph was brought back to her senses and ran to his side. She felt his wound and quickly began to panic for the first time in her life. The Terentatek's claws had actually impaled him all the way through; by all rights he should have died right then and there, but he had somehow managed to muster enough strength to fight back. All this didn't matter in the least to her because of what else she felt, or rather, what she didn't feel. He wasn't breathing and his heart had stopped.

"KATARA!!! HURRY!!!" She cried out to her friend. "He's not breathing! He, he's…!" She was having trouble forming her sentences now. Katara limped up beside her friend and the fallen mercenary and began to work her healing. She too, however, knew that healing him was a lost cause. His vital organs had stopped functioning and…

"Wait!" She screamed in surprise. "We have to get him to the village right away! He's still alive!"

**Sorry to leave you with a cliff hanger, but that's the last chapter I'm going to post for a bit _ But so you dont totally hate me I'm going to finally spill the beans on what really happened between Yue and Sokka in the next chapter. Plus, I'll explain just how Sokka actually managed to survive.**

**Gotta be honet though, I had fun with this chapter. The second test Sokka had to take was trying to determine what kind of character he had through what he would've done had he been in Revan's shoes. Heh, there's a method to my madness here ^^ **

**Also, the fight with the Terentatek was particularly enjoyable to write since I had a lot of freedome to do what I wanted. I mean you fight these guys in the game and see them in some graphic novels, but these really dont do them much credit in what they are capable of.**

**Well, read and review please : )**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Avatar or Star Wars**


	16. Chapter 15: Reminiscence

**Yo! Long time no update lol Heh, sorry about that. I was bogged down with study and my finals for a while, then I lost my spark for a long while _ Luckily I'm back on track for now. I'm going to be busy this summer, but i'll try to update more often.**

**Chapter 15 is very long, in fact it should probably be two chapters but I got lazy in seperating them. Not only does it explain how Sokka survived, but it also tells what happened between him and Yue. Hope you enjoy ^^ As always comments and criticism are welcome.**

**Oh, and I dont own Avatar or Star Wars. (I have to keep stating the obvious cause I cant afford another lawsuit : P)**

Riddles and Reasons

Chapter 15

Reminiscence

"He's still alive!" Katara repeated to the others. It was obvious that nearly all of them were astounded by this information. Katara, however, didn't have time to explain what was happening and she quickly began to work on healing Wolf. He may have miraculously survived the Terentatek's attack, but his life was still in danger.

Katara placed both her hands over the gaping wound in his chest and a soft blue glow emanated from them as she began to concentrate on scanning the extent of the damage. It was dire. The creature's claws had completely impaled him, puncturing his right lung and breaking several ribs. Moreover, there was internal bleeding that extended beyond the open wound; probably from the sheer impact of the Terentatek's claws. Adding to that the shock that his body and mind had endured, and it was nothing short of a miracle that he had survived at all.

Once Katara had identified how badly he was hurt she began to stimulate the cellular regeneration in those regions of his body where tissue had been ripped and began to soothe the unresponsive organs back to a functioning state. This caused the soft glow to turn brighter. Next she used her skills in telekinesis to try and piece back together his shattered ribs while also encouraging some growth in the broken areas to serve as a temporary patch. Then she began to use her finely tuned healing abilities to break up the internal hemorrhaging that had begun and repaired the blood vessels that were bleeding out. The whole process was long and arduous; it took her well over an hour and most of her energy to stabilize him as best as she could, but even then, these were only temporary fixes. He would need full medical treatment, and fast, if he was going to survive.

The Jedi art of Healing was one of the Light side's most powerful aspects. However, it was also one of the most difficult set of skills to learn and required keen discipline and concentration to master. Luckily for Sokka though, Katara was a natural at it.

By the time she had finished, Katara's forehead was damp with beads of exhaustion and she was taking deeper breaths. She was drained from both the previous battle and having to heal such a grievous wound. Nevertheless, Sokka was now breathing again and his heart had begun to beat once more.

Toph could feel this as if it was her own heart beating, and despite herself, she started to feel her eyes watering with relief. "You saved him Katara!" She told her friend.

"No, not yet." Katara responded. "I just stabilized him for now, but we need to get him back up to the village for proper medical attention fast."

"It's going to take us several hours at least to get back up there on the elevator, and we don't have enough medpacks to heal this kind of damage!" Aang cried out. "He won't make it!"

Goruk howled in defiance of Aang's worries.

"Hmm, that should work." Borabus responded to the Wookiee's howls.

"What will work?" Zuko asked them.

"We may not be able to get him up fast enough for medical treatment on the elevator, but Wookiee's are natural climbers. He can carry Wolf back up in about a quarter of the time it would take us to get back to the elevator and to the top level."

"Then let's do it!" Toph heartedly agreed. "It's the only shot he has since Katara's reached her limit for now."

"It'll be dangerous all the same," Katara warned them. "I may have stabilized his condition, but any sudden jolts may undo all the patch work I did just now."

"We don't have much of a choice Jedi." Borabus insisted. "Either he takes his chances in the trees with Goruk, or he dies on the way up with us."

Katara hesitated only for a second before she responded. "You're right, but let's do what we can to make the journey a less rough for him." She then ripped off the sleeves of her tunic and tore them up enough to serve as temporary bandages for Wolf's wound. It wasn't the neatest field dressing she could muster, but since time was against them it would have to do.

Aang and Zuko then helped place the unconscious mercenary on Goruk's back and used the spare rope the Wookiee had brought to fasten him safely. For added measure, Borabus used some of his medpacks on Wolf to help him on the return trip to the surface.

"Well, we've done all we can." Katara noted. "It's all up to you Goruk. Take care of him."

The Wookiee turned his head slightly towards her and howled softly to let them know that he would. He them jumped on to the nearest tree, claws out, and with the grace and speed of a supreme acrobat climbed quickly out of sight.

The group stood there in silence for a few seconds before Zuko urged them forward. "It's not going to do him any good if we just stand here. Let's get back to the village."

"Right," Katara agreed from on top of Aang's back. Since her leg was broken Aang was carrying her piggyback for the return trip to the canopy level of the forest. Not that it bothered either of them of course.

"Katara…" Toph called out to her friend in a low voice. "He's going to make it, right?"

"Toph he…" Katara's answer came out low and unsure, but when she quickly corrected herself and finished off in firm tone of voice. "Yes. He's a lot tougher than I gave him credit for. If anyone can survive this, I'm sure it's Wolf."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

At the same time on Dantooine.

In the deepest regions of the Rakatan ruins a lone, cloaked explorer was standing motionless over the remains of the four Rakatan attack droids that tried to impede her venture into the ruins. Even with the hood and the dark cloak covering the intruder's body it was easy to see that it was a woman because of her curvature.

The spider like droids' metal appendages and cleaved bodies were strewn all over the stone floor. Apparently this traveler hadn't quite passed the tests with the same success that the previous explorers had and was trying to force her way into the chamber that contained the infamous Star Map. The ancient security droids, although powerful, did little more than slow her down as she overstepped her bounds in the ancient ruins.

Now, however, it wasn't the massive ten ton stone slap that was stopping her from proceeding. What had stopped her was that she had felt the same disturbance in the Force that she had when in the presence of her two brothers. It lasted just a little bit longer than before, but it was far more potent.

The intruder removed her hood to reveal that it was indeed Tracinya who was now stalking an elusive prey throughout the galaxy. She closed her eyes and focused her mind on determining where exactly this new disturbance had come from. After a minute or so she opened her vivacious green eyes again with a look of purpose and left the ruins behind her.

*_So,_* she thought to herself, *_they're following the Star Maps after all. This will make it all the easier to find them. But what do they hope to accomplish by revisiting these ancient relics? The Star Forge is long gone and the accursed Jedi Masters could've divulged the whereabouts of its location to them without these Star Maps. Well it matters not. My only concern is to end the true source of these disturbances, and with only four Jedi Knights that'll hardly be a challenge._*

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Three hours later in the Rwookrrorro

The return journey to Rwookrrorro had only taken a few hours, but to the weary travelers it seemed like an eternity. Few words had been spoken since they left the Shadow Lands behind them.

As they reached the gates of Rwookrrorro they noticed Mission was already waiting for them there. She seemed surprisingly calm for the situation, but her eyes betrayed the false sense of security she was putting up.

"You guys finally made it back." Mission welcomed them with a warm smile. "Goruk told us what happened and we were starting to get worried that you had run into another Terentatek. Good to see we…"

"Where's Wolf?!" Toph bluntly questioned the Twi'lek. "Is he alright?!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down Tomboy!" Mission said to Toph with palms raised and trying to calm down her friend. "He's going to be fine. Goruk got him here just in the knick of time and the Wookiee healers have been working on him for nearly two hours now."

Mission's words caused everyone, with the exception of Borabus, to let out an internal sigh of relief. They had all been holding their breaths all the way back up and out of the Shadow Lands not knowing if their friend was going to survive or not. Now they could finally relax knowing that he was at least still alive.

"Jovial Statement: Oh thank the Maker. For a while I thought I would have to be decommissioned once again since another one of my masters had died." HK stated rather joyously.

Aang laughed at the droid. "Yeah, I can see where that would have sucked…Hey wait!" Aang did a double take. "What do you mean 'another one'?!"

"Not now Aang." Katara interrupted his questioning. "We have to see if there's anything we can do to help the Wookiee healers."

"Right." Aang responded.

"Hang on their Sweets." Mission stopped her. "The healers just finished with him about half an hour ago and he's out cold from the meds. Better to let him rest for a bit before you see him. Besides, you guys look like you could do with some rest as well; you look like hell."

"I wouldn't know Pigtails." Toph said with a slight grin. Apparently the good news had rejuvenated her spirits, if only slightly. However, it wasn't difficult she was still worried about her Sokka.

"Listen," Katara addressed Mission, "I don't mean to doubt the Wookiee healers here, but Wolf took a fatal hit for me. I, I don't feel right about just leaving him alone without knowing that he's alright."

Mission just rolled her eyes at Katara. "Geeze, you really could be his mom." She told Katara teasingly. "But all joking aside, he actually wasn't too bad when Goruk got him up here. Most the internal damage in his body was fixed up and the only thing our healers really had to worry about was the superficial wounds. I gotta say you do good work Sweets."

"But I…" Katara looked like she had more to say, but she didn't. "Yep that's me. I was always top of the class when it came to healing. I guess with all the excitement I hadn't realized that I had fixed him up so well." She tried to sound sincere, something only Aang and Borabus were quick to pick up on. Toph was too relieved to know Sokka was safe to have paid more attention like she usually would have. Both Zuko and Mission believed her loss of words to be attributed to relief rather than surprise. HK didn't much care one way or the other.

Once they were back in the village Aang carried Katara to the infirmary alone while the others went their separate ways. Toph was adamant about seeing Wolf, but Mission was firm on not letting her pass on account of the fact that she didn't want her trying to beat him into consciousness like the others told Mission that she often did.

"So," Aang asked Katara as he carried her, "what were you really going to say back there?"

"Was I that obvious?" She asked rhetorically with a smile.

"Heh, I'm surprised Toph didn't pick up on it." Aang responded as he turned slightly to face her with a smile of his own. Then his look became somber. "But seriously, what is it about what happened to Wolf that has you so tense, and why didn't you want to say anything to the others?"

Katara's smile also faded from her face. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself."

"Is it that he managed to survive?" Aang asked her.

"No. It's how he survived."

Aang's expression became bewildered; clearly there was something that Katara hadn't told him yet.

"You see, "she continued when she sensed his confusion, "I'm not so surprised that Wolf managed to survive the Terentatek impaling him. Even though it's highly unusual the human body can sustain a substantial amount of damage and keep going on power of will alone. Besides, the only vital organ the Terentatek hit was his right lung, and that would mean a slow death instead of a sudden one."

"Well, that makes sense." Aang nodded. "After all, he was a soldier who fought in the Mandalorian Wars and there's no t telling what kind of injuries he survived then."

"Exactly," Katara stated, "but the fact that he's recovering as fast as he is unnatural, at least for someone not trained in the ways of the Force."

"Wait! You mean that wasn't you?!" Now Aang was beginning to see what had Katara so worried. Up until then he had assumed that Katara's delicate state had caused her to underestimate her own healing abilities when she stabilized Wolf. The fact that it hadn't been her was troubling indeed.

"No. He's been doing it himself. And that means…"

"That either Revan trained him in more than just tactics, or that the Dark Lord's influence in that holocron is stronger that we first thought. In any case, it doesn't look good."

"Well, maybe not." Katara corrected him, although a little less confidently than usual. "If he was trained in the ways of the Force by Revan that doesn't necessarily mean he's a Sith or that he's just using us to unlock the holocron. I mean for the most part he's been doing it himself, so besides added protection we're not much use to him. Additionally, if he was evil he'd have to get rid of us at one point or another, and he's had plenty of chances to do just that without it looking suspicious."

Aang pondered this for a moment and he realized Katara was right. True it was a bit early for him get rid of all of them if he really was using them, but the most logical thing for him to do in that scenario was to take them out one at a time. Wolf already had a chance to kill Aang on Dantooine but he didn't take it. Moreover, he could have just let Toph or Katara get killed down in the Shadow Lands and once again he didn't exploit the opportunity. In fact, he did the most illogical thing a Sith would have done, he put himself in danger to save them; all of them.

"You're right Katara, but that still means that either he's been lying to us about how well he knew Revan, or that the holocron is affecting him."

"I know," Katara responded, "and I intend to find out which."

"Ok, and just how do you intend to do that?" Aang asked her.

"Simple, I'm going to take a page from Toph's 'investigative methods.'"

"You're going to beat it out of him?" Aang questioned her with a look of surprise on his face.

"Not exactly; I'm just going to ask him."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The Wookiee infirmary was one of the few buildings in Rwookrrorro that looked different from the others. It was actually wider and looked like three big huts piled on top of each other, plus it had larger windows and much more of them. Centered inside the large building was the trunk of the tree that not only served as the foundation but also the central support for the infirmary. There were several large beds along the circular walls of the three floors that patients would use to rest and many durasteel containers placed in different places that held all of the sterile tools and equipment. Several shelves and cubbies had been carved into the enormous central trunk and were used to hold the more commonly used medicinal items. These included various medicinal herbs, kolto packs and the like.

The three different levels of the infirmary were similar in layout except that the 3rd level didn't have quite as many beds since it was used mostly for Intensive patient care and had six functional KoltoTanks. The Wookiees were still primitive by galactic standards, but in the past few years they had rapidly expanded their knowledge from both what their previous chieftain had bought with the lives of his subjects and with what had been raided when the Czerka Corp. had been routed. As such, their medical facilities were nothing short of impressive. All this, however, was overlooked by the sole occupant of the Intensive Care Level.

Sokka was resting still on a bed. His wounds were neatly bandaged and he was hooked up to several computers that were all analyzing his vitals to ensure that he didn't go into cardiac arrest. Slowly life started to return to him and he groggily sat up in his bed. The intense pain he felt in his chest despite the sedative woke him up and helped remind him that he was still alive. He placed a hand on his chest and sighed heavily with his eyes half closed. *_Not dead yet…I really do have the Devil's luck. I guess someone upstairs really likes jerking me around__._*

"And just what kind of thoughts are those?" A voice asked him from the shadows.

Sokka quickly turned around with his eyes wide only to remember just how painful near death experiences could be. He clenched his teeth and gripped his wound with his right hand to try to force out the pain.

"Careful, you'll reopen your wound again." Katara's soft voice cautioned him as she turned on one of the lights next to his bed so that he could see her better.

"Didn't your Master ever teach you that it's impolite to read someone's mind without their permission?"

"Once or twice," she laughed, "but its kind of hard not to when you're as easy to read as a book."

"Ha, ha," Sokka retorted.

"But actually," Katara's expression softened, "you're almost as hard to read as Borabus. There's so many random thoughts going through your head most of the time it's hard to pinpoint anything at all."

"What can I say, I have the attention span of a Tach," he laughed.

"I used to think so too," Katara continued, "until I figured out what you were really doing."

Sokka's expression became serious.

"You're purposely sending out these mixed feelings and thoughts so that we can't read your mind." Katara explained to him what he already knew. "Did Revan teach you that?"

"Not really, I just sort of figured it out myself when he kept reading my thoughts. He'd tell me that I was so easy to read because I'd focus too much on one particular thing, so I decided to mix things up." Sokka paused to chuckle a bit. "I was surprised it actually worked, to an extent at least."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, keeping your mind busy makes it harder to read passing thoughts and feelings, sort of like jamming the signal your brains gives off. However, if the Jedi were to focus his or her efforts they could easily break through that defense. The only good thing about that though is that they can't do it in secret; it's far too intrusive to go unnoticed by the person whose mind they're trying to read."

"You've learned first hand I take it?" Katara asked him rhetorically.

"Yeah, but only because I asked for it, I mean I had to test it out for real before I ever tried to use it confidently." He smiled sincerely for the first time since they had started their conversation, but only briefly. "So now the question is whether or not you mean to find out for yourself how hard it is to pry the truth out from my mind."

If Katara was surprised, she did a good job hiding it. In truth, however, his statement did catch her slightly of her guard because she had thought about doing what he had said on more than one occasion. "I'm not going to lie and tell you that the idea hadn't crossed my mind at one point or another, but I'd much rather you just told me."

"Told you what?" Wolf feigned ignorance.

"The truth about everything." Katara paused for a moment. "Revan taught you in more than just tactics and combat. Didn't he?"

"No, he didn't." Wolf responded without even looking at her.

Katara could sense that he wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling her everything. "Then how did you manage to reach me in time to save me? How is it that you know such a complex healing trance? I don't care how much natural talent anyone has, it would be impossible to be able to perform that kind of technique without a Master's help. And more importantly, what was that malice that kept you fighting even after your body had should have gone into shock."

Wolf sat on his bed for a long while like if he was contemplating whether or not to tell Katara the truth. Finally he sighed and relented.

"I'm not to sure about that sudden speed burst, that one just sort of came naturally to me, and that blood haze, well that one happens when I'm pushed to the limit. I don't entirely know how though; I guess I just get angry at the fact that someone is trying to steal what life I have left from me. As far as the healing trance goes, however, you're right; I did learn that from someone."

"Who was it?" Katara asked barely being able to keep the eagerness for the truth out of her voice.

"Yue." He simply replied.

"Wha, what ?!" This time Katara couldn't hide just how deeply his confession affected her. Her eyes were wide with disbelief and she found herself unable to say anything else.

Wolf could see just that she was still in denial about what he had just told her, so he decided that it would better to tell her everything from the beginning.

"Listen, I know that's the last thing you were expecting to hear, so let me explain everything. Heh, but you might want to sit down. This isn't a short story." He motioned to the bed next to his. Katara was still in shock, but she sat on the edge of the bed adjacent to his.

"Well, it all started about two years ago…"

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Planet Axxila, 2 years earlier.

Axxila was a backwater Outer Rim planet, but even so it was at the cross section of various hyperspace routes and thus served as a primary hub of commerce and other less lawful practices. A young mercenary had chosen to make this the meeting place because it allowed him to re-supply for the long mission ahead of him and because it was also the best place in the sector to find info, for a price that is.

The job itself didn't seem particularly easy, but the pay was good. He and his 'partner' were to track down a group of Sith diehards who didn't seem to understand that the Jedi Civil War was over. In truth there were still plenty of Sith left after the war, but most were smart enough to lick their wounds before trying to strike back at the Republic. The group he had been hired to track down was not in the majority. There was only one actual Sith leading the group though, the others were merely ordinary Sith soldiers that he had managed to keep together with the promise of riches and power. This made the job seem all the easier to handle.

He had been waiting for well over an hour for his 'partner' to arrive at an outdoor tavern. It was now five Andoan Ales later and his 'partner' was still a no show.

"Geeze, why'd I ever take the job in the first place?" He asked himself silently. "Damn pompous Jedi are more trouble than they're worth."

"Is that what you think?" A soft feminine voice asked him from behind.

Sokka turned to see who it was with his right hand already gripping the handle of is sword. Anyone who could sneak up on him that easy could be trouble after all. To his surprise, however, it wasn't someone he expected. Before him stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her eyes were a piercing blue and stood out in a good way against her tan skin. Her hair was the purest white he could imagine and was arranged with two long ponytails on the side's of her delicate face with a third ponytail that curved into two loops on the top of her head. She wore what looked like traditional Jedi Robes, except that they too were white with a hint of light blue on her sash and under tunic.

For a long time Sokka just sat where he was, dumbfounded by her beauty, something that wasn't fairly difficult for her not to notice. Finally, it was she who broke the silence.

"So I take that you're Wolf?" She asked him.

Her question finally knocked back to reality and he quickly composed himself as if nothing had happened. "Yeah, that's me. And you must be the Jedi I'm supposed to meet." His tone was bitter, although in a subtle way that the Jedi noticed. In any case, her own voice didn't betray any signs of hostility or offence if indeed she had been offended.

"Yes. I am Jedi Knight Yue Sa'Ti."

"Great, nice to meet you." Sokka replied sarcastically. "So let's get started already Jedi."

"I'd much rather prefer Yue, if you don't mind."

"Whatever," he replied gruffly.

"So where do we begin?" Yue asked him in a serene voice.

"Huh? I thought this was your mission?" The young mercenary couldn't suppress his surprise. This was not because it seemed like she had no idea what she was doing, but rather because she had admitted that she didn't. Besides Revan and the Jedi who served under him during the Mandalorian Wars, Sokka had never actually met another Jedi since he was a young boy. He always figured that they'd be stuck up or at the very least condescending from what the Jedi under Revan had told him, but Yue's humility was proving otherwise.

"Well yes, this is my mission. However, I believe that you've had more experience with this type of situation and you know the Outer Rim territories better than me. As such I think it would be foolish for me to ignore your expertise."

"Uh, well, I guess that makes sense." He was clearly not expecting her answer.

She laughed. It was a soft and intoxicating. "Am I not what you were expecting?" It was more a statement than question.

Sokka blushed slightly and quickly turned away. "Doesn't matter," He simply responded, "let's just hurry up and get this mission over with. So we can go our separate ways."

Again Yue didn't seem to be offended by his gruff manner when she spoke to him. "Well then, shall we get started?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Four Weeks Later

Nearly a month had passed since the mercenary and the Jedi had begun their unusual partnership, and in that time Sokka had done his best to give Yue the cold shoulder. However, for all his efforts he was only rewarded with the same humility and kindness she had always shown him. It infuriated him that she wasn't giving him anything to vent at, but at the same time he found her company soothing. What's worse, to him at least, he was actually becoming fond of her and in more ways than one.

Presently, they were in the only bar that was currently open on the newly constructed Telos Space station. The bar, although recently constructed, already showed signs that it would be a haven for the less than desirable. It was a fairly roomy as far as bars went, and it had enough space for a large circular bar table in its center with several smaller tables scattered evenly throughout the establishment. The lighting was dim, with the exception of the elevated staged that had flashing colored lights all around it. It was currently in use by a Bith band that had just started to play another one of their alien songs.

The song, however, did little to alleviate Sokka's foul mood as he sat a corner table with Yue trying to assess the situation. They had followed a lead that turned out to be another dead end. It seemed that whoever was running the Scarlet Dagger knew exactly how to cover their tracks, and this meant that the mission would be a much longer one than Sokka had thought it would be.

"Well this was a colossal waste of time." He said to no one in particular. "I knew we should've tried to find more clues back on Nar Shaddaa."

"Nothing is a waste if you can learn something from it." Yue calmly told him.

"Oh yeah? Well I just learned that the drinks in this place are watered down and that in a few months time it's probably going to become a get together for the 'who's who' of spice runners and shady business salesmen." He replied in an agitated voice.

"And that may come in handy if we ever have to return here to find information of the less reputable acts going on in the Telos Space Station."

"Yeah, and does that help us now?! No, it doesn't!"

As usual, Yue didn't respond with to his unkind words with callus words of her own. Instead she just looked at him with her warm blue eyes like if she was peering into his soul, which in fact she was. Sokka, however, felt this and jumped up from the table.

"Hey! I don't want you or any other Jedi going through my mind like it's your own apartment!" He turned his back to her and inwardly cursed at the situation he was in. *Why the hell did I take this damn job?! Helping the Jedi? Why should I help them?! It's there damn fault things turned out the way they did!*

"Do you really believe that?" Yue asked him in soft and unmistakably sad voice.

Sokka wasn't surprise she had picked up on his thoughts, hell, he was practically screaming them out. Even a Gamorrean could have understood them. Nevertheless, he was hesitant when he spoke.

"Yes. I do." Sokka turned to face her once again. "You Jedi think you're so high and mighty in your temples, but you couldn't care less about what happens in the real world."

"You know that's not true." She replied. "If that truly were the case then Revan…"

"Don't use his name! You have no idea who he was or what he had to do because of the cowardice of the Jedi Order."

"I see…"

"No you don't! And you never will."

"Then help me understand."

Her words were sincere. Sokka knew she wasn't being snide in any way and that she truly wanted to understand what he was going through, so he relented and sat back down. "So how would I be able to do that? Words aren't nearly enough."

"You're right, they're not," she kindly said to him. Yue then reached her hand across the table and took his in her own. "That's why it's a good thing I'm a Jedi." She closed her eyes and began to hum what could've been a soft lullaby. It made Sokka feel unusually calm and sleepy enough to close his own eyes. Suddenly the lullaby became distant in the darkness. Soon it felt like they were traveling incredibly fast. Amongst the darkness he could see old memories flying by like if he were reliving them in high speed.

The whole phenomena was brief only lasting a few seconds, but in that time Yue was able to relive many of the most important and even painful moments in Sokka' life. She let go of his hand. "Now I see why you hate us so much."

Sokka didn't say anything. He just continued to stare at the table they were sitting at with a solemn look on his face.

"Your family was torn apart because of our war, and then the one Jedi you trusted and admired became a Dark Lord." She paused for a bit hoping to get some response from him; she didn't. "But I think you hate us more for not doing anything to help Revan."

"Yeah, that's right." Sokka finally looked up at her. "You and your masters, if you had joined in the war…"

"Then we might have become Sith just like them." She answered before he could finish his sentence.

"Or the war could've ended sooner and Revan would've never of had to of become a Dark Lord. Did you ever stop to think about that?"

"More than you know." Yue's last comment was completely unexpected and stopped Sokka from saying anything else. "You weren't the only one to lose people close to you when Revan and the others turned, but now try to imagine having to fight them. To have to kill or be killed by people who were as close to you as blood family."

For the first time in his life, it was Sokka who felt ashamed for his misconceptions. He never thought about it that way. How it would have been to have to kill Katara if she had become a Sith. Knowing this he found he found it much harder, if not impossible, to hate Yue or any other Jedi.

"I…"I'm sorry." He finally said. "I never thought about it that way, it's just that…"

"It's okay. Even before the war your mother had been killed by a former Jedi and then your sister was taken into the Order. You still had plenty of reason to hate us."

"But that doesn't make it right, especially the way I've been treating you. You didn't deserve that."

"I just told you it was alright." Yue smiled at him.

Then Sokka did something he hadn't done in a very long time; he laughed, but for real. "Man, doesn't anything ever dampen your spirits?"

Yue laughed too. "Well there are some things that can depress even me, but to be honest, I find it difficult to stay depressed when I'm around you."

Sokka felt his cheeks get hot and he quickly looked away to hide his blush. "Uh, really?" He was still a bit unsure of what to say, but then so would most people if they just got hit on by a Jedi Knight as beautiful as Yue.

Yue also blushed slightly and looked away. Apparently she had said more than she intended to. "Uhm, well yes. I mean you're smart, funny, and when I see past that cold exterior you try to put up I can see you're a really caring person."

"Uh, thank you," were all the words Sokka's lips could find.

There was a long silence for a while in which of them had to look somewhere else to hide their blush. Finally, it was Yue who broke it.

"Have you ever thought about becoming a Jedi?"

"What?!" Sokka's eyes widened in disbelief of the question she had just proposed to him. "Me a Jedi? Now I know you've had one too many." He chuckled.

"I'm serious," Yue insisted, "when I looked into your mind I also caught a spark of the Force in you. Granted it's not very strong, but with proper training you could actually become a Jedi like me or…"

"Or my sister." Sokka finished. His somber mood had returned.

Yue didn't stop though. "Yes, like your sister." She paused for a moment. "I know you don't think what happened to her was right, but have you even met her since she joined the Order?"

"No! And that's the problem! Jedi aren't allowed to have emotional attachments or even see their families. How can I possibly become such an emotionless husk?"

"Is that what you think of me?" She asked him sternly.

"Well, no but…"

"But what?"

"It's just that I don't think its right. I know my life isn't glamorous and I don't have anyone to share it with, but I don't want to be part of a group that unfairly decides who should be sacrificed." His comment was both related to his sister and Revan. Yue understood this.

"Revan made his choice and followed the path he wanted, and although your sister may have been too young to understand her commitment when she made it…I've never seen her regret it once."

Yue's words caught Sokka's attention to the fullest. "You knew my sister?!"

"No, I know your sister." She smiled at him.

"But, why didn't you tell me?!"

"Because I had no idea how it would affect you. Besides, I think it would've strained our relationsh…I mean partnership." Yue quickly corrected herself. Luckily for her, however, Sokka was too distracted by the fact that she knew Katara to notice.

"What's she like?"

"You mean Katara? She's strong willed, carrying, and overly protective of others at times. She's a lot like your mother was."

"You knew my mother too?!" Now Sokka's head was spinning.

"Not personally. I just know her from the stories my Master Pakku told us; me and Katara that is." Yue could tell that Sokka was probably only more confused by what she had just said. "Oh, Master Pakku trained both Katara and me, and also your mother. When Katara found out she wouldn't stop asking our Master about her, so I sort of got caught up in the stories."

Sokka had to bring his hand up to hold his head. This was all just too much to take in at once.

"So, do you want to become a Jedi?" Yue asked him once more.

The mercenary wasn't as quick to denounce the idea this time, but it wasn't a decision to be made lightly. Then suddenly a thought came to him. "Wait a minute, just how would this work? I mean aren't I told old to become a Jedi? And for that matter, isn't it the Jedi Council who should decide something like that? I mean, wouldn't you get into trouble or something?"

Now Yue looked down at the table. "Normally you would be right; it is not my place to decide who should or shouldn't join the Order. However, I feel that it is the right thing to do." The young Jedi Knight looked up at Sokka. "You have too much potential to be wasted on this type of life, and if I can see that then the Sith will as well. Except I doubt they'd let you walk away from their brand of commitment."

A tinge of anger swelled up in Sokka as his eyes met Yue's. "So in the end I'm just another resource? Just another recruit in the epic battle between good and evil?" The sarcasm and hurt were dripping from his words.

"No!" Yue quickly shot back. "Do you honestly believe I'd risk my life in the Order for a simple recruitment?!" For the first time since he met her, Sokka could tell that Yue was actually angry. "I'm doing this because I don't want to see you go down the wrong path! I don't want to see you get hurt, killed or turned! I-I don't want to lose someone else I care about." She was on the edge of tears now.

If Sokka had felt bad before, then he didn't know what he was feeling now. He couldn't begin to describe how awful he felt inside for having made Yue shed tears. "I'm sorry." He softly whispered both to her and himself. "In traveling around the galaxy as much as I have I've learned to be cautious when something good happens to me." He looked shyly away from her. "I guess that's part of the reason why I've felt apprehensive from the moment I met you."

Yue looked back at him, her tears almost dry and a smile forming on her face. "You really mean that." It was a statement, not a question.

This made Sokka smile as well. "Well you're the Jedi; I think you know better than me." Then he sat back down next to her. "So, how does this whole Jedi thingy work anyhow?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

The days turned to weeks, the weeks to months and in all that time Yue did her best to train Sokka in the ways of the Jedi while they searched for the Scarlet Dagger. Fortunately for her, although Sokka was stubborn and at times close-minded, it wasn't difficult for him to grasp the concept of the Force. It was a strange way in which he learned to say the least. He'd often come up with his own hair brain ideas and theories about how the Force worked that were odd, and that was putting it mildly. The results, however, were nothing short of astounding.

Sokka wasn't as particularly skilled in Force techniques as a Jedi Counselor like Yue or Katara since his connection to the Force wasn't that potent. He also didn't have the balance and stealth of a Jedi Sentinel. There was however one class to which he could distinctly relate too, the Jedi Guardian. Sokka was a natural when it came to dueling with blades and light sabers alike, as Yue soon found out. Whether it was because he had always had a sword in hand since as far back as he could remember, or because of something else, Yue could not tell. Still, she nourished his talent the best she could. Her own skills in lightsabre combat and the different forms were far more limited than that of an actual Jedi Guardian, but since all Jedi were required to at least know the basic stances of all seven lightsabre forms she could at least teach him that much.

It had been three months since Yue had convinced Sokka to take on the mantle of a Jedi and they were now sparing in the cargo portion of the Lunar Wolf. Sokka was standing almost perfectly straight, with his arms arched back and his mid section curved enough to allow for his practice pale blue lightsabre to be held up close to his face. His regular light armor and coat were off and he only had a simple black muscle shirt and lose-fitting slacks on. Opposite to him Yue wasn't wearing her elegant robes either and instead was using a simple tank top lose fitting pants as well. She had her own deep blue lightsabre centered and was holding it with both hands. Sokka had inquired as to why she used a blue focusing crystal instead of a green like most other Jedi Counselors, and she told him that it was because all of Master Pakku's students seemed to have an acquired taste for blue.

Both of them seemed a bit tired, although Sokka was by far the more exhausted of the two. Sokka rushed Yue with a first but viciously quick stab of his practice saber. Yue countered with a lower diagonal slash of her saber to knock his away. The two sabers connected with a sharp hiss and Sokka's blade was knocked back, leaving his torso exposed. Yue then expected him to jump back and try another stab, but instead he let go of the saber for a brief second and used the same force that had knocked it back, along with a bit of telekinesis, to make it spin over and then under his hand and Yue's saber. This now left Yue exposed the same way Sokka had been just moments earlier. Just as he was about to land the finishing blow Yue swiftly waved her hand and sent Sokka flying into the cargo bay wall.

"Hey, no fair! That's cheating!" He complained as he slowly got back up and turned off his saber.

"It is not," Yue replied smugly with a grin on her face as she too turned off her own saber. "You let your defenses fall when you thought you had the upper hand." She shook her head at him as if he were simple child unable to comprehend the most basic of lessons. "Had this been a real fight you would've been killed." Her face suddenly became serious. "Remember, you must always keep up your protective shield around you with the Force. Without it you leave yourself wide open to your opponents Force based attacks, and then it won't matter how skilled you are with your saber."

"Aha! So you admit that I'm better than you at a sword fight!" Sokka couldn't help but gloat as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was smiley conceitedly at her.

Yue didn't respond right away and instead waved her free hand like if she was wiping away dust from an invisible table. Sokka suddenly felt something invisible hit the back of his legs and the blow knocked him down to his knees in front of her. It was so sudden he didn't eve have time to react as she placed a short kiss on his lips.

"Alright, you're good with a saber, but don't let it go to your head." She smiled at him.

He quickly got back on his feet and returned the kiss as they both wrapped their arms around each other. "And that's not the only thing I'm good with," he said while still holding her.

"Maybe, but that's not what we're discussing here." She broke away from his arms and started to make her way back up to the upper levels of the ship. "Now hurry up, we should be getting close to Vjun by now."

Sokka quickly followed her up the ladder. "So, what do you think are chances are that we've found them this time?"

"Moderate I'd say, but it's the best lead we've had in a while and I sense that there's something large at work here."

"So this might finally be the end of our mission huh?" Sokka asked her in a somewhat somber mood.

"Yes." She simply replied.

There was a short silence between the two.

"Listen," she turned to look him in the eye. "When all this is over things are going to change..."

"Between us you mean."

"No. We will have to explain to the Council what's happened; about the Scarlet Dagger, about your training, and…about us." Yue answered him. "However, nothing will change how I feel about you."

"But they'll expel you from the Jedi Order! I can't have you give up your dream for me; it's all you ever wanted." Yue gently placed a finger on his lips to silence him.

"Yes, being a Jedi was all I ever wanted since I was a child, however, that's not what I want most anymore." She smiled gently at Sokka.

"Yue…"

"I made my choice when I decided to train you; I choose you." With that she showed him just how sincere she was by kissing him passionately, a kiss he returned in earnest.

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They landed on Vjun an hour later. The planet was barren and virtually lifeless with only canyons, mountains, and a few acidic rivers that made up a reddish landscape. Moreover, the planet's acid rain meant that you'd need a personal shield generator to get from place to place; unless you were a Jedi that is.

As Sokka and Yue disembarked from the Lunar Wolf, it began to rain hard. The ship's shields protected it from the rain, but it could do little for either of the two once they stepped out of it.

"Well, this is certainly going to be a fun day." Sokka grumbled.

"Always with the sarcasm," Yue laughed at him.

"It's my thing; I'm the meat and sarcasm guy."

"As if I could forget," Yue said as she jokingly rolled her eyes at him. She stepped into the rain without any form of viable protection from the acid shower. The rain, however, seemed to fall around her rather than on her. "You coming?" She asked Sokka.

Sokka just let out a deep breath and focused his mind on creating a Force barrier around himself like Yue had. It was a mid-level Jedi technique to create an invisible Force powered barrier around oneself, and Sokka was still trying to work out the kinks. Actually, he could barely hold his together for more than ten minutes at a time, and that was outside of battle.

"Just a sec," he responded right before leaping out into the rain with her. "Ok, lets make this fast; I don't want to end up a melted muck pie."

The two then proceeded into a nearby dry canyon that was a good quarter of a mile wide and twice as deep. A few days earlier they got a tip off of a Kendorzhan miner, a short and stubby, mole-like species, that someone had paid a hefty sum of credits to get a mining job done discreetly on Vjun. The contractor never showed himself, although he did pay the promised fee. To ensure secrecy, however, a few 'examples' were made out of some of the miners, including the brother of their informant. As such the two got all the information they would ever need to find the place from their Kendorzhan source. Sure enough, they found an 8' by 12' durasteel door hidden in the lower portions of the canyon.

"Well, this certainly isn't unusual." Sokka commented in his normal sarcastic way.

"No, not in the least," Yue agreed. "So, can you hack it?" She asked him.

"Don't have too," he replied as he walked up to the computer panel that opened the door. "This is one of the newer models."

"And how does that help us?" Yue asked.

"Heh, it means that it's actually easier to pull these things apart than hack them." Sokka pulled out a multipurpose screwdriver type tool from his belt and began to pry apart the panel. "You see, with these newer models the security companies focused more on preventative measures for software hacking, so they made the hardware easier to upgrade. By doing that, however, they all made it so that I could quickly yank the motherboard like so," he pulled out a component from the disassembled panel and quickly connected his data pad into the empty slot, "and substitute my data pad's mother board." He punched a few buttons on his mini computer and the screen starting flashing a light green color. Then a series of numbers and codes popped onto the screen. "Viola! The pass code is '557981.'" Sokka entered the set of numbers into the keyboard section of the dismantled computer panel that was surprisingly still functioning properly. Moments later he door slid wide open.

"Good job Sokka." Yue congratulated him. "Now let's get going."

Both of them entered the doors and followed a long stairway down into an intersecting hallway. The stairs and the hallway were both dimly lit and were little more than bleak, grey durasteel corridors. Nevertheless, the size and length of these passages alone suggested that the secret facility was large; too large to be simple smugglers or other simple criminal organizations. Additionally, there was a cold atmosphere to the place that Sokka had recently learned was a sure sign of the Dark Side.

"I think it's safe to say we found the Scarlet Dagger." Sokka commented.

"It looks that way," Yue agreed, "but we should be thorough and check the rest of the place out."

"Shouldn't we call for back up or something? I have a bad feeling about this place, and besides we don't know how many members this organization might have." Sokka protested.

"That's why we have to be sure to scout out this place. We have to let the Council know exactly what we're dealing with." Yue explained.

"Alright," Sokka grudgingly accepted, "but I don't like it."

The two proceeded further into the facility and found that it was apparently deserted. There were no personnel, no droids, and no sign of any activity. They finally found themselves in a large hanger. There were supply crates neatly stacked along the walls, and in front of the crates were what appeared to be large vehicles with tarps draped over them. Sokka pulled the tarp off of one and discovered a new model hover tank that was not too distinct from the one used by the Sith army during the Jedi Civil war. These tanks, however, appeared to be even more heavily armed with matching twin missile pods and gattling lasers and had a crimson red trim. The thing that caught his eye though, was the engraving it had in its mid center; a bright red dagger that appeared to be bleeding.

"It's definitely them." He informed Yue. "And from the looks of things here they're very well funded."

"That's not surprising. The group's leader, Zhao, was a formal general of the Sith and we suspected that he may have stolen military funds after the Sith were routed. This just proves it."

"Stole? I prefer to think of it as inherited." A voice spoke from behind them. Both Sokka and Yue looked up at the catwalks lining the hanger to see a middle aged man with long thick side burns and a short ponytail looking down at them. His attire consisted of an elegant crimson red armor, not unlike the one used by the Sith, and a gold trimmed black cloak that hung at his back. It wasn't heavy armor and mainly protected his torso, shoulders, shins, and wrists, and the chest piece had a serrated dagger engraved in its center. The lower part of the armor was more like a open robe, for max flexibility in combat. He was flanked by half a dozen red armored Sith commandos on each side; all of them had disrupter rifles aimed right at the two.

"The former General Zhao," Yue addressed the man.

"A pleasure," Zhao remarked. "Although as you can see," he motioned to his men, "'former' would hardly be the appropriate word to use."

"Some people just can't seem to move on. They just love to live in the past." Sokka jested.

Zhao looked annoyed at Sokka's joke, but quickly composed himself. "Indeed, but some people just can't seem to notice when they've been lead into a trap."

Sokka flinched as he put the pieces together in his mind. "The Kendorzhan miner…you had him set us up!"

"Precisely," Zhao affirmed. "You see I've known for a long time now that the Council had sent someone to track down our operations, but you were nothing more than a minor nuisance. Recently, however, you've come far too close to exposing us, and I can't let that happen before the time is right."

"What do you hope to accomplish?" Yue demanded of him. "Do you really think a few hundred soldiers and tanks can really do anything against the Republic and the Jedi Order? Surrender now and Republic may yet show you mercy."

Zhao laughed coldly at her offer. "Young lady, you are in no position to be threatening me." He snapped his fingers and some three dozen soldiers in silver and black Sith combat armor entered the hanger from where Sokka and Yue had just entered minutes before. They sealed the door shut behind them and lined up in a firing position. "We may be few in number now, but soon are ranks shall swell! We shall grow hidden by the shadows and neither the Republic nor your Jedi Order will be able to move against us until it is far too late. The Sith shall rise again!"

"Talk about cliché," Sokka mocked him. Zhao looked down at him angrily. "I guess some people can't accept the fact that they've lost. Heh, but I have to admit you're doing a good job fooling yourself; even the Mandalorians weren't that thickheaded."

It looked as if Zhao was having a hard time fighting back the urge to strangle the life out of Sokka personally.

"Sokka, how many times do I have to tell you not to point out the obvious?" Yue grinned at him.

"Sorry," Sokka replied with a sarcastic, apologetic tone of voice. "I just can't help myself sometimes." He rubbed the back of his head as he too now smirked.

"Enough of this! It's time for you to die!" An irate Zhao yelled. "Kill them immediately," he commanded to his soldiers on the ground level of the hanger. His soldiers prepared to fire when the heavy crates lining the hanger wall behind them suddenly crashed on top of them. Eight of them were crushed by the shear weight of the boxes, at least a dozen of them were injured, and the rest had broken formation in a mild panic over what had just happened.

"Here's a tip Zhao!" Sokka yelled at the Sith general. "You should always be aware of your surroundings, especially when you position your men. You never know when a Jedi will use there telekinesis to 'tip' the odds in their favor." He laughed at his own joke. This infuriated Zhao to no end.

"Get up you fools! Bring me that one's head!" He pointed at Sokka.

Six of the Sith troopers were already ready to carry out his orders, so Sokka ignited the pale blue practice saber Yue had given him to defend himself. However, this proved to be unnecessary. Yue jumped in front of him and with a swift, sideways motion of both her hands she sent three of the crates into the Sith.

"Thanks." Sokka chimed.

"Anytime," Yue replied.

Their thanks were cut short by blaster fire from the commandos above them. Yue and Sokka separated, Yue going left while Sokka went right. Sokka ducked behind one of the tanks whereas Yue just ripped off a piece of durasteel paneling from the floor and used it to absorb the blaster fire. She then made it spin rapidly and sent it flying at their attackers like if it were a giant shuriken. Zhao easily leaped off the catwalk and landed gracefully on the ground floor, but his commandos weren't as fortunate. The spinning sheet of metal sliced the catwalk in half and both ends of it fell along with the commandos. They hit the floor with a sickening crunch.

Sokka was about to congratulate his girlfriend when he saw that three of the remaining Sith soldiers had gotten behind her and were about to open fire. He immediately used the Force to give him a quick burst of speed and just like she had protected him before he too jumped behind her to shield her. The Sith troopers opened fire and he adjusted his defense accordingly by switching to the Shien variation of the Form V lightsabre technique that Yue had taught him. This lightsabre stance excelled at not only repelling blaster fire but also turning it against your enemies, and as such he easily deflected the troopers' blaster bolts back at them with deadly efficiency. One soldier was hit by his own shot right between the eyes, another's bolt was deflected right into his heart, and the last took his own shot to the chest. They all fell to the floor dead.

The five remaining Sith troopers chucked their blasters and instead charged at Sokka and Yue with their vibroblades. Sadly for them though, they were actually better with off trying with their blasters. Three of them surrounded Sokka and all attacked simultaneously; Sokka countered the tactic by lashing out at the one neatest to him. The Sith trooper still had his blade held up in a vicious vertical, high swing when Sokka stabbed him in his exposed chest. The fallen trooper's comrades were surprised by Sokka's speed but attacked nonetheless. One trooper came in with a quick stab like the one Sokka had used, but it was easily parried. Sokka had quickly turned and with a downward, diagonal slash knocked the vibroblade into the floor and then slid his lightsabre over his opponent's blade and directly into the man's left arm, severing it from the bicep down. The trooper cried out in agony and tried to stop the bleeding with his remaining hand. In a last ditch effort to bring down Sokka the remaining Sith trooper put all his strength into a brutal horizontal slash at Sokka's back. For a moment it looked like blade would connect with his spine, but without even turning Sokka blocked the saber from behind with his lightsabre at his back. In one swift 360 degree turn Sokka used the thrust of this movement to knock back the trooper's vibroblade and them come back to slash him across the torso. For a moment the Trooper thought that his enemy had missed, but then he saw his vision sway as he fell back and then saw his lower body still standing as the rest of him hit the floor.

The two that went after Yue faired about as well as the three that went after Sokka. They came in simultaneously from the front hoping to overwhelm her, but she easy blocked everything they threw at her with her blue lightsabre. Then with her greater speed she slashed one of the troopers across his chest before he could bring up his sword to defend himself. His partner countered with his own horizontal slash when he saw that Yue had swung her saber too wide and left her own center exposed. She just raised her free hand and sent a concentrated burst of telekinetic Force energy into him at point blank. The trooper's rib cage and internal organs were pulverized as the blast sent him flying into a stack of crates.

"Ouch," Sokka stated with a pained face. "I could've warned him about not trying that," Sokka abruptly noticed a shadow flicker on one of the dead Sith Trooper's silver armor and he reacted instinctively by turning and defending himself with his lightsabre. He barely had enough time to block Zhao's surprise attack, but the brute force of the attack almost brought him down to his knees.

Zhao's crimson colored lightsabre was locked with Sokka's pale blue one, although Zhao was easily holding Sokka back with just one hand whereas Sokka was using both. "Impressive; I see there's more to you than a big mouth," Zhao coldly remarked. "My sneak attack has laid many a Jedi to rest. I never expected a mere Padawan level to sense it, and much less block it." Sokka couldn't reply in his usual sarcastic manner because it was taking all he had to hold back his enemy.

"Sokka!" Yue cried out as she rushed to aid him. Heavy repeated blaster fire stopped her in her tracks, however, and forced her to defend herself. She saw that two of the injured troopers were playing possum and had used the lives of their comrades as a distraction to man two of the _Punisher_ class tanks. Now they were unloading the vehicles payload on her and she had no choice but to evade their assault.

While Yue was doing her best to avoid the concentrated fire of two tanks, Sokka was doing his best to hold back Zhao. Their sabers were still locked, but Sokka could tell that his opponent was just toying with him the way a cat plays with a mouse before it moves in for the kill. Sokka focused all his strength into his arms to push back his enemy, but his sudden burst of power was barely enough to move Zhao's sabre back for an instant. Nevertheless, this second was all he needed to escape the lock and jump back.

"Not bad, for a Padawan." Zhao snidely remarked.

"Heh, you'll find I'm full of surprises." Sokka shot back, although his confidence didn't quite reach his face. A bead of sweat rolled down the left side of Sokka's face; he knew he wasn't dealing with a novice anymore and he knew that he was overmatched. Sokka could hear the tanks firing away at Yue behind him, but as much as he wanted to he couldn't help her. If he diverted even the slightest bit of his attention away from his own battle Zhao would kill him then and there. As such he had to kill or incapacitate Zhao if he wanted to help her. Sokka took a deep breath to calm down and analyze the situation. He recognized that Zhao was using the Djem So variation of lightsabre Form V, a style that specialized in dueling and overpowering your opponent. It was formidable, but not invincible. Sokka understood that a head on approach against a skilled practitioner of Djem So would be suicide with his level of training. As such he would have to rely on something else besides power, speed.

Sokka crouched down slightly and dashed directly at Zhao, but right before running straight into him he flipped over him and slashed his sabre at his opponent's head. Zhao easily defended himself, but it wasn't difficult to see Sokka had surprised him. Sokka landed right behind him and crouched just in time to dodge Zhao's horizontal slash; he could've sworn he smelled some of his hair burning even as he dodged. A nanosecond after Zhao's lightsabre swung over him Sokka thrust his saber into his enemy, but Zhao was fast and narrowly avoided death by jumping away. Sokka had no intention of letting Zhao regaining the offense, so he focused on using the Force to further increase his own speed and zigzagged up to Zhao like if he was a blur. He slashed at Zhao once from the right, but it was easily blocked. Not disheartened Sokka pressed the attack from all around Zhao. He came from the left, upper right, below, and even from above as he dashed, flipped and spun around Zhao. All his attacks were blocked but his opponent never had time to attack, and that's what Sokka wanted. He knew he couldn't win on his own so he used the Ataru form Yue had taught him to hold Zhao back until they could double-team him.

Form IV Ataru was the fastest and most acrobatic of all the lightsabre forms. It relied heavily on a Jedi's agility and ability to use the Force to augment their physical prowess. Yue thought that it suited Sokka since he was very agile and relied more on his cunning than physical strength.

Sokka continued his relentless assault until Zhao put some extra power into one if his parrying blows and threw Sokka back. Fortunately he was nimble enough to land gracefully on his feet and as soon as he made contact with the ground Sokka spun like a twister and attacked Zhao once again. His sabre connected with Zhao's three times and although he wasn't able to land a direct hit neither was Zhao. Sokka quickly broke out of his spin as Zhao counter attacked with a heavy vertical slash. This time around, however, his opponent didn't leave himself as open as his last one and Sokka had to dodge at the last the second by leaning his body to the right. Seeing a slight opening in Zhao's defense Sokka took the opportunity and thrust his sabre into his opponent. Conversely, Zhao dodged the simple thrust by leaning to his right just like Sokka had, except he wasn't quite as fast. The saber grazed his left shoulder and singed his well-dressed, black cloak; it fell to the floor in a heaped mass. Sokka then jumped away as his opponent countered with a lower diagonal slash.

Zhao dusted off the shoulder Sokka's sabre had struck as if it had only been an insect that had landed there. "Impressive, you used the Ataru form to counter my Djem So form."

"I do my best." Sokka grinned.

"Indeed, but unfortunately it seems you have yet to master that form. If you had then just maybe it would've overtaken my Djem So. As such, the end result of this match is obvious."

"Well then why don't you just come in and finish me if you're so sure of yourself?" Sokka goaded Zhao.

"As you wish puny Jedi."

Sokka prepared for what he thought would be a full frontal assault from Zhao's lightsabre, but Zhao had something else in mind. Instead his opponent reached out for him with his left hand, and the Force. Sokka had finally remembered to keep up his Force barrier to protect him from just such an attack, but it didn't matter. He felt Zhao's power rip through his defenses as if it were a Reek smashing through a thin, glass window. Sokka was lifted helplessly off the ground as he felt the Zhao choking the life out of him with the Force.

"You little fool. Did you really think you had a chance against me? That the fact that you survived this long was nothing more than for my amusement?"

Sokka couldn't make any sarcastic comments. The grip around his neck was getting so tight that pretty soon he wouldn't have to worry about dying from suffocation, but from having his neck broken.

Yue looked up when she felt Sokka was in danger and saw that Zhao was getting ready to finish him off. As much as she wanted to let her emotions get the better of her she maintained her Jedi discipline and focused on her own battle. The two tanks had been driving her back against the far side of the hanger and now had Yue pinned between them and the wall, or so they thought. As usual her enemies failed to notice their surroundings and had in fact fallen into her trap. The severed catwalk above her was now at just the right angle to do some serious damage to the tank closing in from her left side. Yue reached up with her left hand like if she was trying to support the metal walkway, but actually she was ripping it off from its already weakened hinges. The Sith trooper in the tank felt confident that he would kill the Jedi before him and as such he was caught completely by surprise when the broken catwalk was hurled at him like spear from above. It sliced through the gap between the tank's armor where the pilot saw through and it decapitated the man inside. The second pilot saw what happened to his comrade and he prepared to fire all his spare missiles at Yue in retaliation. Right before he could fire his salvo Yue reached out with both hands and used the Force to turn the missile pods in at the tank itself. The pilot never knew what hit him and he was blown to bits along with his tank.

Having felt the explosion Zhao diverted his attention to see what was left of the two tanks. "Idiots," he muttered to the now dead Sith troopers. Without breaking his hold on Sokka he brought his free left arm up and barked orders into the portable intercom attached to his wrist. "Send reinforcements down here on the double." Zhao was confident that he was more than a match for the remaining Jedi but he had brought the other soldiers with him to get them some combat experience against this type of adversary, and now they were all dead. A minor setback to him, although he still wanted some of his soldiers to get something out of this.

Almost as soon as Zhao had sent his orders Yue jumped over the smoking wreckage that had once been a tank and attacked him with one of the most powerful Force waves he had ever experienced. Zhao instinctively brought his free arm up to shield himself as the wave of telekinetic energy smashed against his invisible defenses. His barrier took the brunt of the attack and he remained standing, but the attack was still powerful enough to shove him back in place for several meters. More importantly, it forced him to release his hold on Sokka. The young mercenary fell to the floor coughing, gagging, and unable to stand on his own. At the very least though, he was still alive, and that was enough for Yue.

Yue knew she couldn't let Zhao recover the offensive; he was a skilled Sith Marauder whose skill with a lightsabre was on par with any Jedi Guardian the Order had. As such, if he engaged her in closer quarters combat she'd be at a huge disadvantage unless she could keep him off balance. Keeping this in mind Yue lifted several supply crates and hurled them at Zhao. He acted accordingly and easily dodged or simply slashed the crates in half, however, he was overconfident. Zhao had realized from the power and efficiency of her attacks that the Jedi he was facing was a Counselor; powerful in Force based techniques, but weak in combat with a lightsabre. Understanding this Zhao also began to move forward as he evaded and hacked away at the supply crates she threw at him and elegantly cleaved the last crate down the middle in a show of his talent with his lightsabre, his first big mistake. By slicing threw the crate instead of simply avoiding it Zhao lost sight of Yue for a second, and that was all she needed to get into place.

Yue used the crates as a distraction and concealed herself from Zhao by using the Force to momentarily dull his senses. She used the opportunity she had created to come up behind Zhao and fired another Force wave and point blank range. Zhao wasn't ready for it and barely managed to turn halfway when the attack struck. It broke his Force barrier and several of the ribs on his left side. The pain he felt was excruciating, but true to his training as a Sith Marauder he endured and even used the pain to fuel his hate and power over the Dark Side. This was anticipated by his adversary who used her superior mastery of the Force to cancel out the temporary boon Zhao had derived from his own pain; it was an advanced technique that she was extremely grateful that her Master had taught her. In the end Zhao was wounded and had nothing to show for except for a loss of response time in both his defense and the inability to use his left arm efficiently.

Again Yue wasted no time in continuing the attack. She launched a simple, concentrated Force push this time; using another Force wave was an unnecessary waste of energy now that Zhao was weakened, and judging from the incoming reinforcements she felt she knew she was going to need to save her strength. Her attack was blocked by Zhao, albeit with a greater effort than before. Once Zhao recovered he saw that Yue was no longer using her Force abilities to attack him, but rather, she was engaging him in a close quarters lightsabre duel. Yue now used the Force to increase her physical prowess to maximize her efficiency with her lightsabre; it required less of her own energy to do so than it would of if she continued her ranged attacks, and it was working.

Injured like he was Zhao found it impossible to launch a successful counterattack on the Jedi and was relegated to a humiliating defensive position once again. It was apparent that his opponent wasn't well versed in close quarters combat, like he had originally surmised, but her skills were still formidable and more so in his current condition. He felt her lightsabre come dangerously close to slicing off his remaining good arm and right leg on more than one occasion. Zhao didn't have to analyze the situation to know that his reinforcements wouldn't arrive in time and his anger had begun to be replaced with despair. He needed to turn the tide of battle and fast! But how? Then he remembered the first thing he had been taught on how to kill a Jedi; you don't kill the Master first, you kill the Padawan.

Zhao summoned up the all the energy he had left to jump back away from Yue. This wasn't enough to keep her away for long, but it gave him a split second and it was all he needed to throw his sabre at Sokka like if it was a javelin. Sokka, who had come mere inches from death, was nowhere near ready to evade attack, and Yue knew it. Out of pure reflex she threw her own saber to intercept Zhao's. Both weapons clashed with a sharp hiss right next to Sokka's head and fell harmlessly to the ground as they shut off.

Relief rushed over Yue as she saw she had hit her mark, but that was short-lived in every sense of the word. She felt a stabbing pain in her chest and turned away from Sokka to see that a jagged dagger had pierced her heart. At first she couldn't believe that she had really been stabbed, it felt like time had stopped and it was all a bad dream. Zhao, however, had no intention of letting her die peacefully and twisted his dagger to intensify her anguish before shoving her to the ground.

Sokka had seen the whole thing and it felt like time had stopped for him too. He had started to get back up and had seen Zhao's saber flying at him right before Yue blocked it with her own. Then he saw Zhao pull out a dagger he had been hiding in the back of his belt and stab Yue in the heart with it. He saw the joyous look in her eyes at having saved him suddenly stolen by one of shock and disbelief. If there was ever a time he had felt so much despair and torment he couldn't remember it even if he had lived a million years. Everything seemed to move in slow motion after that; Yue's body being thrown to the floor, his own dash to try and reach her in time, everything.

Even before he held her in his arms he had known, he had felt that it was too late, but it didn't stop him from screaming out her name to try and wake her. Her eyes were closed and had it not been for the trickle of blood coming from the side of her lips and the red stain on her chest then she could have been asleep. He gently shook her hoping against the certainty in his heart that she was just unconscious. It was all in vain though, and soon his eyes began to burn and tears fell onto Yue's gentle face. Nothing in the galaxy mattered anymore, not to him at least, and he wasn't even vaguely aware that two dozen more Sith troopers had arrived and surrounded him, or of Zhao's cold words.

"Foolish, predictable Jedi," Zhao sneered. "Had she not been so weak only you'd be dead, but that was always the folly of the Jedi; putting the lives of others ahead of their own." Zhao reached out with his right hand and his lightsabre came to it like Kathhound returning at the call of its master. He looked down at Sokka and smiled coldly, "oh but don't worry boy. I'm not without mercy; I'll not drag out your anguish. You'll soon be reunited." With that Zhao ignited his saber and held it up high. "Goodbye," Zhao said as he brought his saber down upon Sokka.

At the last possible second, however, Yue's lightsabre turned on and flew into Sokka's waiting hand to block Zhao's attack. The formal general looked down at the boy before him, unable to comprehend what had just happened, and more importantly, why he couldn't brake through his guard.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance," Sokka told Zhao, "because I'm not as merciful!" With that he pushed back Zhao's lightsabre with one swift slash and even cut his opponent's torso at the same time. Zhao was fortunate enough to have barely dodged and his internal organs were spared, but the pain on his flesh was searing. Both Zhao and his men were dumbstruck by what transpired; another fatal mistake. Without breaking stride Sokka was back on his feet and while still facing Zhao he sent Yue's (lightsabre) flying like a boomerang at the soldiers standing around him. The icy blade flew like a spinning shuriken and sliced threw fourteen of the soldiers, killing them instantly. Seven of the Sith soldiers dodged either by luck or clumsy reflexes while the last three weren't so fortunate to have died right away and instead died in slow suffering from the shock of having lost one or two arms.

Sokka never let his eyes drift away from Zhao's the whole time between when he sent his weapon flying and when it landed back in his hand. The tables had turned and now it was Sokka who was toying with Zhao. In fact, it seemed he was hell bent on making sure Zhao suffered both mentally as well as physically. Zhao recognized this tactic, Dun Moch; the breaking down of an opponent both in body and spirit. More importantly he realized that it was a method of combat used almost exclusively by the Sith.

"Just who the hell are you?" Zhao asked the man standing before him.

"That doesn't matter, because all you have to know about me is that I'm the one who's going to kill you!" Sokka answered him right before he somersaulted to the nearest remaining Sith soldier and cut him down from shoulder to hip. The remaining Sith opened fire, but it didn't even buy them time. Sokka expertly deflected the blaster fire and slashed the next trooper in half along with the trooper's blaster. One of the bolder troopers ran around right behind Sokka and fired straight at center of his back. Sokka didn't even turn as he brought his arm back to knock the blaster bolt back into the man's head. Two of the remaining soldiers chucked their blasters and threw their frag grenades at their enemy, but before they were halfway to reaching him Sokka reached out with the Force and pulled both of the soldiers into the air in a collision course with their own grenades. The soldiers' bodies detonated the grenades and served as human shields for Sokka. One of the last soldiers charged at Sokka with his vibroblade in an act of courage, or more likely desperation, while his comrade tried to run for the door. Sokka, however, had other plans and instead pulled the charging soldier with the Force into his waiting lightsabre and ran him through. He then threw his lightsabre and it flew like an arrow into the retreating soldier's back, killing him instantly.

Zhao was paralyzed by disbelief at the how suddenly his opponents fighting prowess had changed. At first Zhao felt that the Force wasn't particularly strong in the young man; it was about the same as any other Padawan. Now, however, it looked like he had broken open a massive dam when he killed the Jedi woman and the Dark Side had flowed free on a scale that made even Zhao's power look weak and pale by comparison. Did this man have such an affinity for the Dark Side, or was it something else? Was it his years of hardship and suffering alone in a ruthless galaxy that paved the way for the power that was now emerging from him? Whatever the reason was Zhao did not care because his opponent had left himself defenseless and without a weapon when he killed the last trooper.

The former general assumed that Sokka would be helpless against his attack without his lightsabre in hand, but again he was gravely mistaken. He focused the Force to give him a burst of speed for a quick, decisive killer blow and ran at Sokka with his saber held high. Sokka, however, turned halfway and caught the Zhao's hand before he could bring it down to strike him.

"With such weak generals it's a wonder the Sith lasted as long as they did without Revan." Right after he spoke those words Sokka swiftly twisted Zhao's wrist with such vigor that it snapped. Zhao screamed and dropped his lightsabre right into Sokka's free right hand, who then used it to slice his enemies arm off at the elbow.

The wound was cauterized instantly and so the blood loss was minimal. This did little to ease the pain Zhao now felt as he staggered back and fell to the floor holding his severed right arm with his still whole left one. Before he couldn't even move the left side of his body without the discomfort of pain, but the new pain was so excruciating that it dulled the latter one.

Zhao was crawling away now, unable to stand or even speak coherent sentences because of the terror he felt. Still, he understood that it wasn't any normal fear. The man or rather the thing before him had penetrated his mind and imposed his own will against Zhao and had broken him. It was Dun Moch in the fullest and most terrifying sense, but what was most terrifying was that Sokka was asserting such influence on Zhao so naturally that he most likely didn't eve fully realize it. It was as primordial as mouse being stared down by the serpent.

Sokka leisurely walked his way towards Zhao, enjoying every second of his opponent's despair and fear. It nourished his want of revenge. He would kill the man that took the thing he cared for most in the galaxy, and he would do it slowly. Finally he stood over Zhao who was forced into a corner of the room. He expertly started to spin the saber with one hand and it twirled and hummed until it became nothing more than a blurry, red saw. Sokka's face was stern and merciless; he stopped twirling the lightsabre, brought it up for the killing blow and…

*_STOP!!!_*

The sweet familiar voice froze Sokka where he was. He turned and looked around looking for its source, but he couldn't find it. For a moment he thought he had imagined it, but then he heard her voice again.

*_Don't give in! This isn't you! Please!*_

It was Yue! He'd recognize her voice anywhere, although he couldn't understand how it was her. He looked over at her lifeless body. She hadn't moved since he had let her go, but even then she still maintained a peaceful look in her face. That's when he realized what was happening; there is no death, there is the Force. Yue was reaching out to him from beyond to try and save him from himself. Her words alone were enough to snap him back to the reality of what he had done.

Sokka looked around and saw all the death he had inflicted by letting his hate get the better of him. He saw the dead soldiers and for once realized that they may not have been so different from him, that he may have actually served with them at one point or another during the war. It made him sick to his stomach. "Wha-What have I done?" Zhao's lightsabre fell from his hand and shut off when it hit the floor. He looked back at Zhao, the broken bleeding man on the floor, and it only then dawned on him that he was the one who had broken him. Sokka didn't say anything, but his eyes said enough; he was shocked and afraid. The young man fell to his hands and knees like if the weight of the guilt he felt was weighing physically him down.

Zhao was confused by what had just happened. His enemy was ready to finish him off, but at the last minute he stopped in dead swing and lost all of the Dark Side energy that was flowing through him. Zhao didn't understand it but he wasn't about to let the opportunity that presented itself to go to waste. The broken man looked around in desperation for a weapon; he couldn't reach for his lightsabre since his opponent could easily block his summoning from that distance. No, he needed another less obvious weapon. That is when he saw the blaster rifle from one of his dead soldier's not ten feet away from him under a fallen crate. Zhao reached out for it with his mind and the rifle was pulled free from under the crate and into his awaiting left hand and aimed it right at Sokka.

"Nice try boy, but you should have killed me when you had the chance." Zhao laughed manically as he pulled the trigger.

"No! Don't!" Sokka tried to warn him, but it was too late.

In his haste Zhao had failed to notice that the crate had dented the rifle's firing chamber when it fell on it. As such the blaster bolt detonated before it was launched and also ignited what remained in power cell. The explosion wasn't much bigger than that of your average frag grenade, but it was more than enough to blow Zhao to shreds.

Sokka could only stare at what remained of Zhao in disbelief of what had just occurred. He may not have been directly responsible for the man's death, but it still weighed heavily on his conscious that he had pushed him to the point of desperation. Sokka fell to his hands and knees in remorse; he couldn't save Yue, he slaughtered so many, and worst of all, he had enjoyed it. It felt like everything around him was losing focus and growing colder like if it was fading away. In truth, however, it would have been more accurate to say that it was him who was fading away. Whatever the case was he didn't much care anymore. Nothing mattered now.

He would've stayed that way for eternity or just simply faded away if not for her gentle voice. *_Don't give in Sokka!_* Yue's words brought him back from the edge of despair and Sokka looked up when he felt her warm hand touch his shoulder. He didn't know if he was hallucinating or not, but what he did know was that Yue was standing before him bathed in a pale blue light. Sokka didn't dare look away for fear that she might vanish.

"I don't have much time here, but I can't leave you like this." She spoke to him.

"Wha-what?" Sokka asked her unsure if whether or not he was really speaking to her or a delusion of his own.

Sensing his confusion Yue's spirit simply giggled in her usual joyous voice like if the whole ordeal was nothing. It brought great comfort to Sokka. "No you're not going crazy, well not yet a least." Then her complexion became serious. "Sokka, I know it hurts, but you can't give up. There's still so much for you to do and to feel."

"But I couldn't protect you." Sokka said as he looked away in shame. "I gave in to my hate and I-I."

"Yes you did, but you were able to let it go."

"Yeah, but only after I killed them all," he pointed to the dead Sith troopers that littered the floor. "I-I can't do this. I'm no Jedi."

"No, you're not a Jedi, but you can endure."

Sokka looked up at her once more.

"Sokka, your will is strong and you're a cunning warrior. If anyone can endure this I know it's you."

He felt his eyes water ever so slightly, and he closed them. "You never stopped believing in me, not even after all this."

"I never have and I never will." She smiled. Yue put her hands on Sokka's face and tilted it up gently so that they were looking into each other's eyes. "I understand now that you have a larger role to play in this galaxy than I first imagined, but what that role is will be up to you and only you. There will be challenges and great pain ahead, but you won't stand alone. Part of me will always be with you, and so will your friends."

"My friends?" Sokka asked her unsure exactly of what she meant.

"You will understand in time, but until then you must endure." With that she placed gentle kiss on his lips before she faded back into the ebb and flow of life that was the Force.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"And now you know the truth of what happened," Sokka said as he finished telling his story to Katara. He was, however, careful to omit the part about 'his' sister in the whole story and that she was Katara.

The Jedi's eyes were wide with the realization of what he had just explained to her.

"After that I did what she wanted. I endured and lived, but I could never bring myself to use the Force again." He brushed his hair back with his right hand. "Heh, to be honest I'm surprised I actually knew how to use that damn healing trance. I never could get it right when she first tried to teach it to me in the first place. I guess I really do have the devil's lu…"

"I'm sorry." Katara interrupted him with a deep hug.

"Wha?!" Sokka looked at her like if she had just spit out a tach monkey from her mouth.

"I'm sorry, for treating you like I have. I always blamed you for Yue's death, but it never occurred to me that you might have suffered more from it than I did. For that I'm sorry."

"I.."Sokka was about to tell her it was alright, but decided against it. "I accept your apology." He smiled at her.

"Huh?" Katara wasn't expecting him to be so straight forward and forgiving, well, at least no this fast. She let him go and stood up beside him.

"Yue was a very special person," Sokka continued. "As such I can understand how it must've made you feel when she died, so I also understand why it was that you didn't trust me."

"Then let me make it up to you!"

"Don't worry about it. You don't owe me anything."

"Yes I do, but more than that I owe Yue."

Sokka looked up at her. He was unsure of what she was talking about.

"She believed in you, and so I will too. I'm going to continue where she left off, I'm going to train you as a Jedi."

"What?!" Sokka nearly fell off his bed when he heard this. "Yue would've been expelled from the Jedi Order if the Council had found out about her training me! Plus, you know what I did on Vjun! What if I lose it again?!"

"You won't." Katara reassured him calmly.

"But how can you be sure?!" Sokka continued.

"Because I, I mean we won't let you." She could tell Sokka was dumbfounded by what she had said. "Remember, Yue said that there would be hard times for you, but she also said you didn't have to face them alone. You have us now; Aang, Toph, Zuko, and Me. We won't let you fall."

"I…" Sokka didn't know what to say. He was scared of what the future might hold, he always had been for some reason, even before he met Yue. Now though, he felt something he hadn't felt in a long time, hope. And it was all because of his long lost sister finally warming up to the stranger that was her brother.

Katara was about to reassure the young mercenary when she noticed a tear on his cheek. Then he embraced like any brother would a sister, although she didn't know that of course. She wasn't sure how to react and finally hugged him back. It was strange, but there was something about him that she hadn't noticed up until then; a sense of familiarity and trust she had long forgotten.

Unfortunately, the two of them weren't alone that night. The young blind woman outside the clinic's entrance had been 'observing' the two for the past few minutes and had understandably misunderstood what had occurred between them. Despite the fact that her bangs covered her eyes, there was no mistaking a look of sorrow and betrayal in her face that she herself didn't fully understand. She turned from the clinic's door and ran into the night.


	17. Chapter 16: Hidden Truths

**YO!!! I'm back lol. Again I apologize for the delay.**

**Thanks to all those who've read and reviewed my story! Really appreciate your feedback guys ^^ and also thanks to those who've just started reading my story.**

**This chapter is short but very insightful. Tracinya has finally caught up to the gaang! What happens afterwards will leave you guessing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or Star Wars **

Riddles and Reasons

Chapter 16

Hidden Truths

Just outside of Kashyyyk's orbit a single Sith shuttle hid amongst the darkness of space, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. The shuttle's usual gray durasteel color had been coated with a deep red hue; Azula was cautious, but she had no intention of demeaning herself to the level of her lesser Sith brethren and always strived to make subtle yet strong impressions whenever possible. As such, the ship's systems were far above those of your basic model and consisted of the latest hyper drive engines available, high tech scanners, and a weapon system that would make anything short of a capital ship cringe.

Inside the vessel Azula, her two loyal followers, Mai and Ty Lee, and about a dozen Trandoshans, plus one bounty hunter, had been keeping a careful vigil over Kashyyyk. The interior of the shuttle was comprised of two sections, an upper living quarters and a lower hanger area. It wasn't particularly well decorated, but it was nevertheless elegant for a Sith ship. The living quarters consisted of the ship's controls in the front with a two high quality leather seats, and the rest was a corridor with a computer terminal, a giant holo table, cozy military fashion beds and seats, and a small elevator for reaching the hanger area. The hangar area itself was more of a combination of a small armory, prison, and vehicle storage shed. It housed three onyx swoop bikes, four cylindrical containment cells for prisoners, and a large locker of disrupter rifles, blades, and other assorted killing devices.

Even with all this hardware at her disposal, however, Azula knew better than to try and attack the village of Rwookrrorro. The Wookies were no pushovers, and with four Jedi Knights backing them up it was obvious that straight forward attack would be disastrous, at least for the now. No, Azula was as patient as she was cunning, she would wait for the opportune moment to strike. Ty Lee, however, was not as patient and was often a source of empty complaints that served more to amuse her than anything else.

"I'm bored." Ty Lee whined for the hundredth time that hour. She was sitting upside down on the copilot's chair with her feet hanging over the head of the chair. "When are we going to go get that cutie and kill the Jedi? We've been here for weeks!"

"It's only been two days," Mai corrected Ty Lee in her usual dull voice. She had long ago learned how to ignore Ty Lee's incessant whining and other annoying habits, so she was not as inclined to kill her as some other Sith would be. Still, she had also learned that actually being able to kill her wouldn't be nearly as easy as Ty Lee's innocent looking nature made it seem. "Besides, I don't want to get smell of Wookie all over my robes."

"They don't smell so bad, and I always thought it'd be fun to have a pet Wookie," Ty Lee responded with her usual merry attitude.

"Now, now girls," Azula interrupted as she walked up from behind them, "I'm just as tired of this waiting as you, but attacking the village that size would make it difficult to ensure that our quarry couldn't escape." She shifted her attention directly to Mai now. "Is there anything new to report Mai?"

"No," Mai responded in her dull voice. "They haven't made any moves since they first arrived, at least from what the scanners can tell."

"Have any other ships arrived or left since we arrived?"

"No. It's been nice and quiet. Very few ships, if any, ever land on Kashyyyk, and it doesn't look like the Wookies are particularly fond of space travel."

"Very well; inform me if anything happens, and be prepared to follow them as soon as they depart." Azula told Mai.

"Why not just shoot them down when they break orbit?" Mai offhandedly asked Azula, although the truth was that she was silently wishing it didn't' have to come to that.

"Well they've gotten this far, so why not let them finish what they started." It was a rhetorical question. "Who knows, they may just lead us to a hidden repertoire of ancient Sith knowledge that Revan stored away, or at the very least some sort of weapon. Besides, it'll make it that much more rewarding to take it from them in the end." Azula smiled coldly.

Suddenly a small light started blinking on the ship's control panel, catching the three Sith's attention.

"A ship is coming out of hyperspace!" Ty Lee squealed. "We have company!" She was ecstatic to have something to do, even if it was just capturing or destroying an unknown vessel. Then to her dismay nothing appeared on the ship's scanners. "Awwwww! I thought someone was coming."

"And so did the scanners," Mai replied.

Azula placed a hand on her chin as she contemplated what had just occurred. "Could the scanners by malfunctioning?"

"Not likely. I think someone just screwed up their destination coordinates and their ship didn't make the jump."

"Hmm, that doesn't seem likely," Azula thought out loud.

"Yeah, but it would explain why there is nothing out there."

After a few more seconds of contemplation Azula finally agreed. "I suppose, but double check the systems to be sure there isn't a bug. It'd be awfully irritating if we lost our mark because of a simple technical failure. Don't you agree?" Azula directed her last comment to no one and everyone as she left.

Ty Lee and Mai knew exactly what she meant and simply began to recheck the ship's systems for any possible malfunctions. They both knew that Azula didn't suffer incompetence at any level, even if no one in particular was at fault.

* * *

After making a dangerous hyperspace relatively close to Kashyyyk's moon to temporarily obscure detection, Tracinya quickly activated her ship's cloaking device to make it seem like whoever had just arrived never made it to their intended destination. She detected a Sith vessel close by, but she was sure that they hadn't detected her. As a master assassin and spy Tracinya was quite skilled at avoiding discovery; it made for an easier kill.

Her Specter Class interceptor was especially designed for her and was the only one of its kind in the galaxy. It had to long wings on either side of its pointed cockpit and wasn't large or aesthetically pleasing, but if it was it wouldn't be any good to Tracinya. The vessels true potential lay hidden in the Rakatan technology from which it was designed. That is to say that it was created to interact with the pilot and the Force to create a stealth effect by bending the light around itself to make it invisible to the naked eye. More importantly though was the fact that this stealth effect produced no heat or radiation of any kind and made it completely undetectable to sensors.

The Specter gracefully descended into Kashyyyk's atmosphere unopposed by any form of defenses the Wookies may have had in place. After scanning the surface for a suitable landing spot she found one two clicks south of the Wookie village known as Rwookrrorro. It wasn't landing pad, but rather a larger portion of the wooden walkways used by the Wookies. Her ship was just small enough to land on it and the walkway was strong enough to support it. Tracinya disengaged the cloak for a split second to disembark from her fighter before reactivating it via a remote under her wrist. Since she had used the ship so often a sort of Force imprint of her was constantly present in it and it no longer needed its pilot to remain invisible for up to a few hours.

The Kashyyyk night was cool and there was a light breeze flowing through trees with a touch of mist rising from the forest floor, the perfect conditions for a clean kill. Tracinya stood still and it looked like the night was slowly consuming her. In actuality she was using the Force to bend the light around her similarly to the stealth generator on her vessel. Within seconds she was completed shrouded by the shadows and except for a few light ripples in the air she was completely invisible. Her ghostly figure leapt into the trees and silently she soared from one to the other in an impressive display of acrobatics and stealth.

* * *

Half an hour later at the front entrance to Rwookrrorro, the two Wookie guards felt the cool breeze pass over them. It was gentle and comforting. They noticed the trees sway with the breeze, but it was so natural they didn't bother to even avert their eyes to fully examine it. Even if they had, however, Tracinya's stealth technique was full proof. She had even made it so her slight scent was trapped in the same field that bended the light around her; as such even the Wookie's heightened sense of smell wouldn't detect her.

The Sith Assassin made her way over the rooftops of the Wookie village, leaping from one to the other in single bounds. She finally stopped on a hut directly in front of the Wookie clinic. Tracinya stopped here because she felt a Jedi leaving the premises.

Katara had just stepped out of the clinic and was making her way to Mission's hut when she felt a tender breeze sway her hair lightly. She looked up and noticed the full moon shinning brightly and smiled when it reminded her of her fallen friend. "I'll help him Yue. He won't be left behind." With that she continued on her way.

Tracinya stood as still as a statue when the Jedi had looked up to where she was. For a moment she thought she had been discovered, but the Jedi had only stopped to appreciate the full moon. *Good thing for her,* Tranicya thought to herself. *It would've made things messier if she had detected Me.* Taking no chances Tracinya scanned the surroundings for any more nuisances. She felt the female Jedi that had just exited the clinic enter into a hut down near the center of the village, two more were in hut even further away, and a last Jedi near the outskirts of the village. It appeared that this one was taking in the late night view of the moon by herself.

When she was confident that the immediate area was secure Tracinya leaped onto the top of the three story clinic and then used the thatched walls to gracefully flip down and into one of the open windows. There wasn't even the slightest creek of wood when the assassin entered into Sokka's room. She recognized his presence as the one that was broadcast across the stars, that's how she tracked him to this exact location when she arrived on Kashyyyk. It was of course fainter now, but she was a skilled tracker who had stalked and killed hundreds of Mandalorians and even Jedi. Once she had her prey's 'scent' their fate was inescapable.

Sokka was lying with his back to her and was snoring loudly. It was too easy, she would kill him here and now and no one would be any the wiser until morning. Tracinya drew one of her twin shinobigatana, a shorter but faster version of a full katana, from the sheath on the middle of her back. She then brought it up to her chest with the blade's end aimed at Sokka and prepared for a thrust attack. Right before she could stab him through the heart though, he turned over and faced her. He wasn't awake, but that wasn't what stopped Tracinya in mind thrust.

Her blade trembled slightly along with her hand and although her face was hidden by a cowl there was no mistaking the look of shock in her eyes. *Him!?! He's supposed to be dead! It can't' be him!* She thought to herself. For a long while she just stood there, frozen in place. Finally she put her blade away and contemplated her next move. *This, this change's everything. For Revan to have spared a traitor, that means he had a good reason and…* Tracinya looked at Sokka's sleeping face. *I have to inform the others.* With this last thought she jumped out the window and vanished into the moonlit night.

From the edge of the village Toph was quietly absorbing the night as she leaned on the railing connected to one of the village's platforms. Normally she'd be more cautious about standing so close to the edge of such a high place, but tonight it didn't matter to her in the least; she was distracted. *Figures he'd fall for someone like Katara,* she thought to herself. *I mean Sugar queen has Twinkle Toes and even Sparky wrapped around her little finger, why not him too.* "Hmpff," she blew the bangs from her face. *Of course a guy like him probably goes for the sassy girly types anyway! Geeze, why'd I think he'd even look at a girl like me?! I mean it's not like I liked the guy in the first place! Arrgh!* Toph started pulling her hair in frustration over her own thoughts. "Damn it! I hate that guy!"

That's when she felt it, a light breeze, but one that was hiding something sinister. She looked up to where she felt the trace presence; however, it was already gone. It was remarkably well hidden and if not for her unique abilities then even she wouldn't have noticed it. For a while she continued staring absently into the night as if the identity of the person or thing she felt would return to her, but nothing came. After a short while she just brushed off the whole thing as if it were nothing than her imagination acting up. "Guess I'm still not over that hangover just yet." She muttered to herself as she returned to Mission's hut.

* * *

As she exited the village Tracinya was shocked that she had been detected by the one Jedi. In the entire galaxy there had only been three people that had ever been able to pierce her veil, and now there was a fourth.

She got back to her ship in no time and prepared for departure. As she started the launch sequence she was lost in thought. *A ghost from the past and a Jedi that can detect my presence, things have just become far more complicated. This can't be a coincidence.*


	18. Chapter 17: The Guardian

**Heh, first quick update in a looong time. In this chapter Sokka finally starts his Jedi training, and with Toph as his teacher! A lot of this chap will be devoted to an explanation of lightsaber combat, but with Toph doing the teaching you can bet it wont be boring lol.**

**Oh, quick reminder. These * * represent character thoughts. Also, I had to do the proofreading for this chapter myself, so you can a expect a fair some of gramatical errors _**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Avatar or Star Wars : P**

Riddles and Reasons

Chapter 17

The Guardian

It had now been a little over a month since the groups' near fatal encounter with the Terentatek in the Shadow Lands, and one month since Katara promised to Sokka that she would finish where her friend had left off. As Katara expected her decision didn't go too well with the others. At first they were dumbstruck by Katara's sudden change of heart, but then they began to question her sanity as well. Katara had expected this from Aang and Zuko, but she was surprised that Toph was against it as well. In fact Toph didn't seem to like Katara's company so much anymore, and she never once visited Sokka in the infirmary.

In the end Aang and Zuko finally agreed to go along with it since they knew once Katara had her mind set on something that it was impossible to dissuade her. Besides, if you're not against her, you're with her. Toph on the other hand only grudgingly agreed to keep her mouth shut about it.

The first week after of the attack Sokka spent most of his time in healing sessions from Katara. He might have survived the Terentatek's claws, but he only held on by the skin of his teeth. The damage inflicted on his body was still very serious and even his slight healing abilities combined with Wookie medical ingenuity, bacta treatments, and Katara's healing powers could only do so much.

After that first week though, Katara had taken it upon herself to begin stimulating Sokka's latent Force abilities through the use of the same technique Yue had used on him before. Her success was moderate at best. Sokka had almost literally cut himself off from the Force and reawakening that connection was difficult to say the least. Nevertheless, Katara refused to turn her back on him and slowly, but surely, he was progressing.

After a week and a half's worth of intense meditation and extra healing sessions with the mercenary, Katara began to supplement his instruction with basic training exercises. Since Sokka was somewhat familiar with them, thanks to Yue, he caught on quickly. Still, he was somewhat lacking in efficiency.

For starters his telekinesis abilities needed a lot of work. He could move small objects like books or cups with a fair amount of concentration, but anything bigger would take a tremendous effort on his part. Moreover, he had a definite lacking in applying the Force to bolster his senses and physical abilities. What Katara found most surprising, however, was that Wolf had no idea how to apply his miraculous healing abilities to other living beings.

"I give up!" Katara said one afternoon as she fell into the chair next to Wolf's bed in the infirmary. "I can't understand how you can pull yourself out of death's grip so easily but not be able to mend a simple plant." She pointed at the potted fern that sat on Wolf's lap. It was a perfectly healthy specimen except for the fact that several of its leaves were slightly cut to give Wolf some practice at making them whole again.

"Well in my defense, I don't see myself saving ferns from a Sith weed hacker anytime in the future," Wolf retorted.

"That's not the point!" Katara continued. "This exercise was supposed to help serve as a foundation, a gateway if you will, for your other Force abilities, but you can't even fix a fern. It just doesn't make any sense." Katara sighed and went limp on the chair to further demonstrate her frustration.

"Look," Sokka replied softly as he put the plant on the shelf next to his bed, "it's not that you're a bad teacher…"

"WHAT?!" Katara glared at Wolf with eyes scary enough to make him almost fall out of bed.

"That's not what I meant!" He quickly tried to recover as he held his blanket a little tighter and higher than he normally did. "It's just that this is completely new to me, so of course I'm not going to get it right away."

"What do you mean?" Katara asked him in a voice that was much calmer than before, but with eyes that had a mix of suspicion and mostly uncertainness.

"Just that," Sokka responded. "I've only had practice healing myself, and even then it was with Yue as a guide."

"But you managed to speed up your body's regenerative rate and even managed to heal severe wounds by yourself. If you can do all that then surely you can perform at least some minor healing on others."

"You're probably right, but then again I probably won't. It's just not me." Sokka said as he shrugged.

"What? You're not making any sense; you'll jump out in front of a raging terentatek for someone but you won't lean how to learn to heal their wounds if the situation called for it."

"Yeah, pretty much," Sokka casually remarked as Katara looked at him in utter disbelief. Once Sokka noticed this he felt that he had better elaborate before she took it the wrong way. "I'm a soldier Katara, I live to fight. The exact reasons aren't always the same, but you better make sure I do it for the right ones. A lot of times I fight to protect others and when there's no one to protect I fight for myself. It's how I work."

Katara began to slowly understand what he was trying to tell her. "You mean you can heal yourself the way you do and not others because it's where your focus resides."

Sokka nodded. "If I can heal myself I can keep on fighting to protect others so they don't have to fight or worry about me." He chuckled a little, "to be honest it's more by instinct that I can heal myself; I've never put much thought into it, just feeling."

"Now I see why Yue thought you'd make a good Guardian," Katara smiled, "it wasn't because the role of the Guardian requires the least complex knowledge of the Force. It was because it's who you are."

"Yep," Sokka said in a smug voice, "has been for as long as I can remember. Ever since I lost my b…" Sokka stopped himself before he finished his last thought out loud.

"Lost your what?" Katara asked him inquisitively.

Sokka was at a loss for words. He had almost told her that he had been protecting those he considered friends like if they were family ever since he had lost his baby sister. "Uh…just someone I couldn't protect. Let's just leave it at that.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Katara sounded as sincere as the slight sadness that was reflected in her blue eyes.

There was a silence that passed between the two that like an eternity to Sokka. In his head he was silently pleading for a change in topic so Katara wouldn't bring up his baby sister again. He got his wish soon enough.

"Well then," Katara broke the silence, "there's only one thing to do now. I'm going to have to have Toph train you."

"What?!" Sokka yelled as he almost fell out of bed for the second time that morning. "Why Toph?!" In truth part of Sokka was a more than a little anxious to have an excuse to spend some time with the young Jedi, but the other part of him understood the hazards to his health. Especially since Toph had taken up a grudge against him for some unknown reason.

"Because she's the only Guardian in the group; she knows all the lightsaber forms and is frankly the most qualified to train someone like you. Besides," Katara looked at him suspiciously, "I thought you two would get along just fine, or did something happen?"

"Heh, you tell me," Sokka grunted as he rested the back of his head on his hands. "I think she's been avoiding me for some reason, but I haven't been able to talk to her at all. Heck, I don't know when I had the time to make her mad."

"Toph is mad at you?" Katara was obviously as surprised as he was. "I mean I knew she wasn't happy about training you as a Jedi, but I just thought that was because she didn't want it to be burden or danger to you."

"What?! Why didn't you tell me that when we started these sessions?"

"Because I thought she'd get around it eventually and because I thought YOU wanted to become a Jedi."

Sokka fell back on his pillow and looked aimlessly at the ceiling. "I do, but I don't think it's going to happen if the one Jedi amongst you guys who should be the one to train me won't do it."

"Leave that to me," Katara beamed. "I'll get her to come around. You just worry about yourself when she does."

With that Katara got up and left the infirmary, leaving Sokka to contemplate just how much more dangerous his damn mission had become.

* * *

Amongst the stars there were countless planets that were barren, uninhabited and perfect locations for those that did not want to be found. This particular planet, however, was selected for many reasons that included its obscure location in Republic space, the fact that the whole planet was presumed to be nothing more than a graveyard, and the sentimental reason that it had been the birth place of the Forsaken.

Hidden by the ruins of what once was a once glorious metropolis there was a vast and impressive black fortress that resembled a multilayered, black pyramid. Undetectable by any kind of scanners the fortress was a perfect metaphor for the dual nature of the Forsaken; covert and imposing. The stronghold, or Sanctuary, as it had been named by its inhabitants was divided into five levels. The first and largest of the levels was the base of the structure that also served as a hanger for the many vehicles and war machines that the Forsaken used. Next was the second level where the Forsaken soldiers would train for combat and also store their weapons and armament. The third level was the living quarters that housed the hundreds of men and women that had sworn their lives to a greater cause. Up next was the fourth floor. This area was devoted to the storage and collection of data both military and otherwise. Finally the fifth floor and point of the pyramid served as the private quarters and command post for the three Forsaken leaders. Among the Forsaken they were the only ones who had enough command of the Force to be on par with any Jedi or Sith in terms of Force abilities.

As Tracinya made her way through the black metal halls in the second level she was acknowledged by the black armored guards. The suits of armor they wore were not that dissimilar to the suits of your average Sith Trooper. They were streamlined and the armor plating was segmented for maximum flexibility. What was different about their armor, however, was that it was as dark as the deeds there wearers had committed. Moreover, the armor plating was far more extensive and protected more of their bodies than the armor of the average, expendable Sith trooper. The most distinctive feature of the armor worn by the Forsaken soldiers, however, was the face mask. It had a simple mouth guard similar to those of samurai and three fins on the helm that gave it a menacing look.

The guards recognized Trancinya with nothing more than a silent, reverent nod. There was no need for words amongst themselves unless it was necessary; back in the war it was a code of silence they all followed to ensure maximum efficiency and secrecy. Some habits just never went away. Besides, they knew each other well enough not to waste time on needless conversation when so much still needed to be done to ensure their mission would come to fruition.

The long hallway finally ended at a huge obsidian blast door. Behind it Tracinya could hear the crack and sizzle of lightsabers in combat. She pushed several buttons on the door's control panel and it slid open to reveal her brother, Kandosi, surrounded by at least a dozen sliced and charred training droids. He had his back to her and there were only slight traces of sweat on his muscular yet modest frame. Tracinya knew that he was practicing that technique again.

"So the threat has been eliminated then?" Kandosi asked her, although his offhanded tone of voice alerted her to the fact that he already knew or at least suspected that she had not completed the mission."

"No brother," she answered him.

"Then it must have been for a profoundly good reason. Am I right?" He turned and faced her. If he was angry or displeased in any way he hid it very well. There was a vicious scar that ran vertically from the bottom right side of his chest to his top left side.

"Brother…it was HIM."

There was no need for Tracinya to speak the mercenary's name. Kandosi had been expecting this somehow, but even so his once collected demeanor had been broken. He turned away as if the simple mention of that man was one of the foulest curses he could have heard. It was clear he was having difficulty restraining himself.

He slashed the air with his right hand as if he were striking an invisible enemy and it sent the wreckage around him flying in all directions. Several pieces of debris ricocheted off of the walls back at him but he just knocked him aside with his bear fists, grateful for the opportunity to relive some stress as he angrily walked up to his sister. For a brief moment it looked like he was about to strangle her, but instead he let his hands fall from her throat to her shoulders.

Kandosi was looking down at the floor although his hands were still on his sister's shoulders as he spoke to her. "I knew it from the moment we felt the disturbance in the Force. I knew then that the traitorous bastard still drew breath." He looked up and into her eyes. "Now the question remains, why Revan spared the traitor's life?"

"Perhaps it was all part of the plan," a placid voice spoke from the entrance behind them. They both turned to see their brother Nynir. As he walked up to them his imposing height and physique became more obvious in comparison to his two siblings. What was even more daunting was his strong yet elegant voice. For one who rarely spoke Nynir most definitely had a senator's gift of speech.

"Revan was always a shrewd tactician. He may have foreseen certain obstacle in our path that may have required a more subtle method of being overcome."

"What are you implying?" Kandosi asked sternly. "That his betrayal was orchestrated so that he could later be implanted as a spy?!" He let the malice in his voice sink in before he continued. "No. I was there when he turned. It wasn't a ploy, it was a simple choice! He chose to betray us!"

"You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment brother." Nynir calmly stated. "Think of what we know. It was Revan who personally finished him off; the Master would not have been so foolish as to allow him to still draw breath if he was meant to die. Additionally, you yourself admit that his betrayal was so utterly random and unexpected that even you could not understand why he did it.

Kandosi looked away from his siblings to one of the bare training room walls in frustration. He had to concede that Nynir was right. Sokka's traitorous act was utterly unexplainable, and it was true that only those Revan did not want to kill ever managed to survive a battle with him.

"Say you are right Nynir, then for what possible reason could he possibly have been spared? What possible use could he be to us or Revan now?"

"That I cannot answer brother, but I do know that it would be foolish to kill him without first finding that out; lest we undo all that we have accomplished."

After a long silence Kandosi agreed. "Very well, but we cannot leave him to his own devices, he must be watched at all times," A slight grin passed over Kandosi's face, "and as it happens we have just the agent for the job."

* * *

One week after their discussion, Katara made good on her promise to convince Toph to train Sokka. She didn't discuss the details with him, but somehow he got the impression that some form of blackmail was probably involved. The good news was that the week off gave Sokka enough time to recover from his wounds, or at least enough to walk around on his own energy. He wasn't at a hundred percent, but he was well enough to duel.

Now he was standing in an open platform in Rwookrrorro. It was midday and he was starting to get frustrated waiting for his instructor who was supposed to have met him six hours ago. Sokka was at least grateful that word of his lessons hadn't spread; he would've hated an audience during training.

Finally Toph showed up her usual green and tan getup and had a leather satchel in her right hand. She was yawning quite loudly as she walked. Her slightly bedraggled hair that had been forced into a bun was enough to tell him that she had just woken up.

"Afternoon," Sokka welcomed her, albeit in a foul tone. "Forget about my lessons?"

"Nah," Toph calmly replied as she began stretching her arms over her head, "I just hate waking up early if I don't have to."

"What?! Then why'd you make me wait here for six hours!?"

"Simple," Toph responded in a casual, but at the same time serious, tone, "you need to learn patience."

Sokka's jaw fell wide open and his arms dropped. He actually resembled some sort of monkey as far as the gesture went. Toph couldn't see him per se, but she could definitely feel his reaction. This brought her signature grin to her face.

"P-patience? Are you freaking kidding me?! You just did it for fun! You probably only took the job to make me miserable didn't you?!" Of course Sokka was mostly right, but that didn't mean Toph had to like his attitude.

Toph's grin instantly disappeared and was replaced by a foul looking grimace. She brought her left hand up and then slammed it down hard. This threw Sokka from his standing position straight to the floor like if gravity had just decided that it didn't quite like him anymore. Moments later Toph was looking down at him with a rough look on her face that would've made him cringe if he wasn't more concerned with the pain of landing on his healing wounds.

"Listen up Mutt!"

"Mutt?" Sokka asked confounded by his new nickname as he stood back up. This of course earned him another trip to the floor.

"That's right!" Toph shouted at him. Had she been wearing a uniform Sokka would've of thought she was his old drill sergeant. "As of right now you're nothing more than a mangy dog! A dog that needs to learn a few lessons! First off, you are going to address me as nothing less than Sifu! You got that!?"

"Y-yes To-I mean Sifu." Sokka stammered wanting to avoid any more disciplinary actions for the moment.

"Good. For that the doggy gets a treat," Toph debased him as she handed him his 'treat' and patted him on the head as he was getting back up.

Sokka took it glumly as sour thoughts raced through his mind and showed on his face. *Doggy? I've been reduced to K9 status. Geeze, what the hell did I get myself into?* It took him a while to realize that his 'treat' was actually a lightsaber, not unlike the practice one he had when he trained with Yue. He turned it on and it hummed gently as the yellow blade ignited the air.

Flourishing it slightly he could tell that it was hastily constructed and although balanced and sufficiently focused, it was far from optimal. It felt, wrong. Sort of like having someone else's arm grafted on top of his own.

"This doesn't feel right…" he blurted out without realizing it. For a moment he thought he'd be kissing the floor again, but he didn't. In fact Toph was actually grinning at him.

"Good," she said, "If it didn't feel wrong to you then I know you would've been a lost cause."

Sokka looked at her with comprehension written all over his features. "You were testing me," he stated.

"Yep, I wanted to see how familiar you were with a lightsaber. You see most newbs are so awed by a lightsaber the first time they hold one that they think it's already perfectly balanced, focused, and ready to go. Granted we do fix it up enough so it doesn't blow up on them, but that's just about it. The fact that it felt 'off' for you tells me that you're familiar enough with one to skip the kiddy basics and move right into the forms." She handed him a new lightsaber from the satchel. This time when he turned it on the blade was a steady blue. Again he flourished it and found that this blade was definitely of better quality. It had near perfect balance and the focusing wasn't too far off either. It still felt a bit odd to him, but he was comfortable enough not to mention it this time around.

"I guess this will do," Sokka smiled.

"Glad you like it Mutt," Toph's rough tone had reemerged. "Now quit fooling around and fall in! We've got work to do!"

* * *

In the days that followed, Toph showed Sokka the basic postures and sequences of all seven lightsaber forms: Shii-Cho, Makashi, Soresu, Ataru, Shien and Djem So, Niman, and Juyo. These sequences existed to alleviate the mental strain of making up an attack or countering one in the heat of battle.

Sokka remembered well enough from his battle with Zhao that lightsaber duels were viciously fast. There was no time to think of an attack when your adversary used the Force to bolster his speed and reflexes. In fact, battles between practitioners of lightsaber combat were fought on instinct alone. In this way the participants became more than combatants, they became an extension of the Force. For this reason sequences and drills were created and learned for all seven lightsaber forms. If one knew the sequences by heart he could use them instinctively in battle and use complex attacks and defenses on the whim. A master could flawlessly combine and connect sequences from different forms to perform some truly awesome battle combinations, but for now Sokka was content to merely learn a handful.

Thanks to Yue, Sokka was already familiar with the basics of lightsaber combat, but he soon found out that this wasn't nearly enough to please his new sifu. Even with the basics Toph could always find the slightest flaw in his form.

"No you're doing it all wrong Mutt! You're gripping the saber too hard! Now you're gripping it too lightly!"

Once she even corrected the angle at which he was holding the blade even though it was only off by a fraction of a millimeter! Sokka was surprised at how a blind girl, even a Jedi, could have detected such a small flaw. However, he made the fatal mistake about commenting about it out loud.

"What did you say!?!" Toph snarled at Sokka.

"Nothing! Nothing at all Sifu!" Sokka said as he instinctively took a defensive stance. Ironically, the fact that Sokka unconsciously took the stance seemed to please Toph enough for her to forgo another set of 'disciplinary' actions. Still, it was not enough to dissuade a stern lecture.

"Well at least you're getting the hand of the basics," she mentioned firmly, "but quit being stupid!"

"Uh?" was all Sokka managed to say.

Toph shook her head in silent frustration. "I thought you were a sword fighter Mutt. Even the smallest error in form can leave an opening wide enough for your opponent to bring you down. For example, you were off a bit in the way you held your saber. It may have only been a fraction of an angle, but that small fraction ruins your base form and it transfers the flaw to all your attacks and defensive stances. Simply put it projects to everything you do! That's the quickest way to end up dead Mutt!"

Sokka didn't say anything but he understood perfectly. Toph was right on the money. If he had continued training with a flawed form it really would've ruined everything else.

"I understand Sifu." Sokka finally replied.

"Good! Now quit lollygagging and fix it!"

Just as Toph ordered, Sokka spent the better part of the next two hours redoing all his drills with a fixed angle. Until his form was satisfactory to both him and his Sifu.

* * *

The days soon turned to weeks, but the daily routine wasn't much different. Defensive postures, overhand strikes, parries, and counter strikes were all repeated and repeated to the point where they were once again as familiar to him as when he trained with Yue, and even then he found himself improving beyond that. He had to admit that he was never as fluent with a lightsaber when Yue trained him as he was now that Toph was training him. More importantly, he began to feel the Force growing in him even more so than in Katara's meditation sessions. Of course he could only feel it in him the way one hears a voice carried by the wind, but there was no doubt that he was progressing at a considerably faster rate than before.

Soon he was able to draw on the Force to enhance his physical attributes of his own accord once again. He could easily run Toph's daily requirement of 5 kilometers at full speed without even breathing hard. His reflexes were sharper than ever and he could now even anticipate an opponent's attacks like he once could.

"Okay, it looks like you have the forms mostly down Mutt," Toph 'complimented' him, "of course there is still room for improvement. For now, though, we're moving on."

"Yes Sifu," Sokka acknowledged Toph. He understood that despite all her harshness, Toph was an excellent teacher and so he withstood her verbal, and physical, abuse. More than that, he was learning to respect her on a whole other level. Sokka had met more than his fair chair of tough, crazy women in his travels, but Toph was definitely at the top of his list.

"Listen up Mutt, now we're going to learn the marks of contact."

Sokka didn't say anything. Yue had taught him all about the marks of contact, or the target objectives that were meant to help focus one's offense and defense in battle. Basically, they were the areas of the body where one was supposed to strike an opponent and protect oneself.

"I'm assuming you are at least familiar with these?" Toph asked him as she paced back and forth in front of him with her arms at her back in a very professional manner.

"Yes Sifu," he acknowledged again.

"Good." Toph responded without losing the edge in her voice. "So if I were to ask you what Sun djem is you would say what?"

"Sun djem, it means to disarm and it refers to targeting your enemy's weapon to effectively end the battle."

"Good." Toph once again responded.

Sokka, however, didn't finish there. "However, this mark of contact is effectively obsolete against someone who specializes in Makashi and is a waste of effort."

This actually earned a smirk from Toph. "So it looks like you're above chasing your own tale Mutt. You're right. Anyone who uses Makashi specializes in protecting their lightsaber from damage or from being disarmed."

"Next," Toph continued, "what can you tell me about Shiim?"

The mercenary didn't waste anytime answering. "Shiim, this refers to wounding your opponent with the edge of your blade. It's nothing more than a glancing blow, but it's a good way to dishearten lesser opponents into submission." Toph didn't say anything and instead just waited for him to continue like she knew he would. "Shiim is all but useless against a serious opponent though. Small wounds wouldn't be nearly enough to dissuade a Sith or professional soldier from losing interest in a fight if they truly intend to kill you."

Again Toph seemed pleased with his explanation and nodded in approval. "Correct. Shiim is to be used only when the difference between you and your opponent is so great that they posses no threat even though they still wish to fight. I can tell you first hand, however, that a fully trained Sith will not yield to simple scratches."

At hearing this Sokka couldn't hold back his curiosity. "How many Sith have you fought?" What he was really asking her was for some way to measure her skill.

Toph seemed to be expecting this since there was no change in her complexion or her voice. "Not that many, I think it's somewhere around thirty-three or so."

"Thirty-three?! That's, that's…" Again Sokka couldn't hide that he was impressed. Jedi didn't usually seek out combat, although it wouldn't have surprised him if Toph was an exception. This either meant that she was intentionally targeted by Sith or that she was specifically assigned to deal with them. Whatever the case was it was obvious that she was a truly gifted swordswoman.

"Yeah, yeah, big deal I'm awesome. So what?" Despite her seemingly casual tone Sokka could see the tiniest hint of blush creeping up her cheeks. "Moving on now; what can you tell me about Shiak?"

"Shiak, quite simply it means 'stabbing." Sokka answered without hesitation. "Since it causes the least visible of injuries it is regarded as the most honorable of the marks of contact and the most honorable way to defeat or kill your opponent, as the situation calls."

"Alright, now what about Cho mai?" Toph continued her verbal test.

"Cho mai, it means to cut off your opponent's weapon hand and is a preferred combat move of Jedi since it can effectively eliminate the threat almost any enemy posses without killing them. Nevertheless, it is one of the hardest of all the marks of contact. Its precision is the mark of a true lightsaber master."

"Not bad Mutt, but now what about Cho sun?"

"Cho sun, it means to dismember. As the definition implies it means you aim to cut off your opponent's entire weapon arm. Although not as proficient as Cho mai it is more often used against Force sensitive opponents since it is the easiest way to defeat an opponent without killing them."

"Mhmm, now tell me about Cho mok."

"Cho mok, it means to maim. Basically you aim to cut off your opponent's limbs. It's more aggressive than Cho sun, but still effective in neutralizing your opponent under dire conditions."

"Alright, but what about Sai Chu?" This time Toph seemed to be paying closer attention to how Sokka answered.

"Sai Chu, it literally means 'separate, head,' or rather to decapitate your opponent. It's only used in the most extreme of circumstances and is more often than not employed mainly by Sith since it's border line sadistic."

Toph seemed to be reading him for a while before she finally asked him for the final mark of contact. "Finally, what is Sai tok?"

"Sai tok, it literally means… 'to cut body in half.' There was a pause before Sokka continued. "This almost explicitly a Sith mark of contact since it is butchery. I've never actually heard of a Jedi using it in combat."

What happened next was completely unexpected and unnerving. "Have you ever used it?" Toph asked him.

Up until then Sokka had been looking directly ahead of him like a soldier at attention, but this forced him to look at her. She was calm, collected and if she had meant it as a joke of sorts it certainly didn't show. He understood that it was another test of hers.

Sokka faced forward once again and answered honestly, "yes."

Toph didn't say anything but merely turned away from him and continued her pace in front of him as if she was rethinking the situation.

"And not only Sai tok, but Sai chu and Cho mok as well, and not always in self preservation." He wasn't sure why, but he felt that he owed her nothing the truth no matter how vile it made him seem. A part of why he did was based on the fact that he respected her as both a teacher and a friend, but even he couldn't deny that there was more to it than that.

"I figured as much." She simply responded.

"Katara told you what I did on Vjun right?" He asked her, although he was certain of what her answer would be.

"Yeah, but she didn't go into the details."

"I'll understand if you don't want to keep on training me." Sokka reluctantly spoke as he looked down to the floor and away from her.

"What?!" Toph turned to face him on the spot. She didn't sound as surprised as she did angry. "You think you're getting out of training that easily Mutt, or are you fishing for sympathy?! Drop down and give me fifty, NOW!!!"

Sokka nearly stumbled as he dropped down to begin the set. He had to admit that this was not the kind of response he expected. Toph came up beside him and put a foot on his back as she got down close enough to yell in his ear.

"Listen up pansy! You think you're the first one of us to get swept up a fit of rage?!"

"It was more than that!" Sokka jumped to his feet. "I butchered those men, and I enjoyed it like some kind of monster! I…"

"Yeah you got a taste for blood, I know it all to well and so do Zuko, and now Aang!" Toph answered him with just as much strength in her words. "What you think you're special?!" Toph continued as she noticed the surprise in Sokka's face. "Every one of us here has done things that they wish they could take back! Things that nearly pushed us over the edge! But you know what, we got over it! We learned from our mistakes and vowed for our sakes as well as those dear to us that we wouldn't make them again! Now shut up and get back on the ground, the count just went up to one hundred Mutt!"

For a moment Sokka stood there like an child that had just been corrected by his parents. He was right to feel doubt and perhaps even fear about what he had done on Vjun, but Toph was even more right. It was stupid of him to think of himself as special in almost losing himself to the darkness, especially considering the fact that the same thing almost happened to Aang on Dantooine.

Despite that fact that Sokka felt ashamed he decided to simply do as his sifu instructed him and began with his hundred pushups. He had said too much already, and he wasn't too keen on taking on anymore of Toph's disciplinary measures. Besides, he was more than sure that Toph had picked up on how he felt; she had a knack for it after all.

About halfway through his set Sokka decided on asking the question that had been burning in his mind ever since Toph's stern lecture. "So, how was it for you?" He half expected her to just ignore him, or at the very least add another fifty pushups, but he was glad and just a little surprised that she only took a few seconds to think it over and answer him.

"Scary…" A silence passed between them where Sokka had stopped his pushups to listen to her in earnest. "It wasn't like those times when I was doing something bad and that little voice inside my head told me not to do it. Heh, the Force knows I've had too many those moments to count." She laughed lightly before her face became sad. "There was no voice. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I wanted to do it. It felt right, it felt good…"

There was another pause in which Sokka took the risk to ask her another question. "What was it that almost drove you to that edge? For me it was losing someone I loved. Was it the same for you?"

Toph looked away with a grief in her eyes so strong that it made Sokka want to close his own eyes to avoid it. She was about to speak again but it looked like she was having trouble bringing the words to her mouth. Sokka was about to tell her to forget the whole thing, but right as he opened his mouth to speak she regained her voice. "I was sixteen, the Jedi Civil war was reaching its pinnacle, but not before Malak annihilated everyone on Taris. I lost so much that day."

Sokka felt like he should say something, but he couldn't think of anything that wouldn't come out as a pitiful attempt to understand her pain. True knew what it was like to lose family, friends, and loved ones, but it didn't feel right to mention it at the time.

"The pain of so many deaths could be felt across the galaxy by all Jedi; it was like Malak had ripped part of our spirit out from our chests if only for an instant." Toph turned her back to Sokka as she continued. "I didn't know it right away, but I soon found out that the genocide had happened on Taris, my home planet." There was another long silence. "I-I hated that place. I hated the rich nobles who didn't give a rat's ass about the people suffering beneath there city, and I hated the gangs that maid the lives of the people worse than they already where. I even hated my parents; the people who never let me be true to myself."

She sighed and looked up as if recollecting a more pleasant memory. "But it wasn't all bad. I had friends there. Real, true, honest friends who didn't care that I was a bratty noble and who treated me like a real part of their family."

"Taris was where I had the worst part of my life, but it was also where I had the best part of it. It was home. After I found out what happened I went berserk. I went after any Sith I could find with only one purpose, to kill them. I didn't care that it was wrong, it felt so right. It didn't take long to find a small group of soldiers and even a few Sith apprentices to take out my pain. I didn't kill them right away, no. I wanted to make them suffer. Soon I had them begging for a quick death, but I had no intention of letting them off easy."

Sokka had been taking everything she had told him with silent reverence. He knew exactly how that felt so he couldn't blame her for what she did and he didn't want to. Instead he asked her a simple question. "What brought you back?"

"He did," was all Toph said. Sokka knew who she was talking about; her best friend from Taris, the other Sokka.

"My best friend stopped me. I was ready to throw away all I had accomplished as a Jedi right then and there, but I heard his voice. Even from beyond the grave he was still there for me when I needed him most." There was a slight sniffle in her voice that revealed that she was fighting back tears. "I could almost feel him holding back my lightsabers, forcing me to stop. It was all it took to make me realize what I had almost done. I realized then that I wouldn't have only given up on myself; I would have given up on him."

Toph could feel Sokka was a bit confused about the last bit she had told him. "You see, before I left Taris we shared a dream of becoming Jedi. He couldn't make it out of Taris like me, at least not then, but even when I left he never gave up on that dream. More than that he never gave up on the idea of us meeting again as Jedi," she paused again. "He had so much faith in me, and I knew he truly believed it in his heart that I would become a great Jedi. But what had I done? I nearly threw it all away for revenge. I had disgraced his memory to satisfy my hate. I can tell you that I never felt more ashamed of myself than I did that day."

There was another slight sob. "If it hadn't been for him I probably would've lost myself that day."

Sokka slowly got up and walked towards Toph, who still had her back to him. He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, but hesitated and pulled it back twice before he finally let it rest on her. "Toph, I know exactly how you feel. It was the same for me when Yue died so believe me when I say this. He would never be ashamed of you. When Yue stopped me from losing myself there wasn't disappointment in her voice, there was only love and concern. Even after she was gone I could sense that she never blamed for what I had done…or what I couldn't do. That's how I know he still believes in you."

Even though Toph really didn't need to hear it, it felt good to hear that truth. She felt refreshed and peaceful like she hadn't felt in a long while. Despite the fact that she believed that Sokka cared for Katara more than her, she couldn't escape the wonderful feeling she had when he was around her. In truth it had been the main reason she decided to help re-teach him. Nevertheless, she wasn't quite over the fact and she had a reputation to uphold so she quickly knocked his hand a way and turned to face him.

"Alright Mutt! You had you story! Now it's time to get back to work! Drop down and give me those three hundred pushups, NOW!"

Just like that Toph was back to drill instructor mode. Sokka was left dumbfounded once again. *For the love of… What the hell is this girl's problem?! Is she bipolar or something? Hmm, actually that would explain a lot.*

In any case, Sokka quickly got down and started on his newly increased set of pushups. Toph came up close to him. It looked like she was getting ready to plant her foot back on his back, but then she did something completely unexpected again. She said two words in a voice slightly lower than a whisper.

"Thank you."

Sokka had to fight back the urge to not look up at her or stop with his pushups. *Yep, definitely bipolar." He thought with a smile.

* * *

The Next Day:

"Alright Mutt, fun time's over! Now we get serious!" Toph yelled at him as they began their training the next morning.

"Okaaaay, where was I for fun time?" Sokka commented out loud.

"Shut up and fall in Mutt!" Toph scolded him.

As ordered Sokka immediately went as silent as the grave and stood up in straight attention.

"Good, now listen up!" Toph said as she paced back in forth in front of Sokka. "Up until now you've had it easy but now you're going to have to prove that you're worth my time for real!" Toph turned to face him and pulled out her own lightsabers and ignited their teal beams. "Come at me and don't hold back! If you do you'll have Katara reattaching your arm tonight!"

Sokka went pale. He knew she wasn't kidding, but he was certain that even if he gave it his all he'd probably still end up dismembered on some level.

"What are you waiting for Mutt!" Toph berated him. "If you don't come for me then I'll do it!" And just like that she charged at him with a direct thrust of her right lightsaber.

Sokka's instincts kicked in. He switched on his own blue practice lightsaber and took the defensive stance of Form III Soresu. His saber came up centered and barely intercepted Toph's lightsaber. The impact of her lightsaber was much stronger that Sokka had anticipated he was knocked back a few feet, although he still maintained his balance.

Toph still had her saber sticking out in thrust pose as she 'looked' at him. "That was a warning shot Mutt. The next one won't be nearly as soft."

"That was soft?!" Sokka sputtered as he hastily solidified his stance in anticipation for Toph's next attack. He didn't have to wait long.

From her thrust position Toph launched herself at Sokka. She opened up with a vicious flourish that his eyes could barely register. Fortunately she had trained him well and he reacted with a tight, defensive flourish of his own. If Sokka had relied on his eyesight to prepare a counter for the attack he would've been killed for sure. He was relying solely on his instincts and the sequences that had been drilled into his subconscious by the past month of re-training.

There lightsaber's hummed and crackled as they collided, and all the while Sokka was straining to keep up with his Sifu. It seemed that every one of her strikes was an opener to the next one. Every time he blocked one of her sabers he left himself open to the other. He could match her speed well enough to barely deflect and parry, but he couldn't match the power of her strikes. Moreover, Sokka couldn't mount a single offense move. Toph was relentless and if this kept up much longer Toph would simply beat Sokka down into submission.

Sokka new it was risky, but he was a goner anyways if he didn't do something soon. He had to wait for the right moment, timing was critical. Additionally, he had to make sure that it was the right kind of attack she used against him or he really would be sporting a prosthetic limb by the end of the day.

As Toph's left saber came up in an ascending diagonal slash Sokka pushed forward into the blade. At the very last possible second he brought his right arm up and blocked it with his dark bracer. The special alloy cracked, but it held true. Then Sokka used his own saber that he was holding in his left hand and thrust it into her right one. The blade intercepted the descending slash from Toph's other saber perfectly.

Toph was momentarily pinned. Her flourish was broken. Sokka pressed his advantage and used all the strength he could muster to push her back; not exactly stylish, but effective. He figured he'd have about a fraction of a second to start his offensive so he wasted no time and focused the Force to increase his speed and agility and attacked using Form IV, Ataru.

Sokka was a blur of blue and black. He pressed his attacks on Toph from above, from the sides, from behind and from in front. Unfortunately, for him, Toph was a master of Soresu and all his attacks were nullified as easily as if he were child trying to hit an adult with a balloon sword. Her blades met every one of Sokka's as if they were drawn to them like a magnet. Not only that but she was also able to slash at him while keeping up her defense, and these weren't wild attacks either.

One of Toph's teal blades singed Sokkas shoulder. It burned like nothing he had ever felt before and it nearly made him lose his grip on his saber. *I can't believe this!* Sokka thought to himself. *She's using Soresu, but that's almost exclusively a defensive form. How can she use attacks that are so accurate while in that form?*

Even while these thought raced through his mind he never let up his attack. Nonetheless, he knew this would end up about the same as when she had the offensive. This was confirmed as Toph blocked another of his attacks and then landed a kick square in Sokka's chest. He flew into the railing behind him and almost fell off the platform they were fighting on.

With the air knocked out of him Sokka waited for her to finish the fight, but she never came. When he looked up he saw that she was just waiting for him to stand up. Her blades hadn't dropped from her tight Soresu form, but it was like she was daring him to come at her again.

Reanalyzing the situation Sokka soon realized that there wasn't any offensive that he could initiate that Toph couldn't repel. He was confident that Ataru would be enough to at least hold her back like it did when he fought Zhao, but that didn't work out and Sokka new why. Obviously Toph had mastered Soresu and that made her impervious to any kind of conventional attacks. This meant that using Makashi or Djem So would get him no where.

*Hmm,* Sokka thought to himself, *I can't break through her defense with any straight foward attacks. So how can I...?* Suddenly Sokka was struck by inspiration. *That's it! There is one thing I can do. Yue always said it was dangerous to use it, but I guess I have no choice.*Sokka centered his saber, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

*Geeze, this is getting boring.* Toph thought to herself. *If he thinks a Sith is going to give him this much time to get ready he's in for one hell of a short fight.* She then noticed that Sokka was making his move. He came right at her with a high swing, but his speed didn't match the swiftness he employed when using Ataru. *Pssh, a direct attack Sokka? Really, he could at least use…*

Toph didn't get to finish her attack before his blade was thrust at her and singed a few of her hairs. *What the hell was that?! He wasn't set up for a thrust!* The attack had caught her off guard, but she recovered quickly.

Sokka came at her again with a vertical, descending slash. This was easily countered by Toph with her own ascending, right hand strike. It knocked Sokka's blade up and left his chest exposed. Toph saw the opening and decided to teach him a lesson about exposing himself with a nonfatal jab of her free left saber, but it didn't go quite like she had planned. Sokka quickly crouched down, pulled his saber in close to his chest, and then thrust it with the speed of a vapaad beast. Toph never got to complete her own thrust and was instead forced to defend her own center that she had now unknowingly exposed.

The assault didn't end there. Sokka saw that his opponent had lost her balance and he continued with a series of swift fluent thrusts that forced Toph to abandon all offense and focus strictly on her defense.

Sokka's attacks still weren't as potent as Toph's, but she couldn't counter them as capably as she once had. The fact of the matter was that she couldn't read Sokka anymore. Before Sokka's movements may have been fast but they were predictable. Even with the speed of Ataru Toph could foresee where his attacks would come from and then find a way to counteract them. It was all in his form. Now, however, his attacks seemed random and disconnected from one another. He'd start off a sequence of stabs and thrusts only to disengage and reconnect with a flurry of slashes and all in midstream. Conversely, a simple thrust would become a blinding fast flurry. He'd pivot on the heel of his left food as if to add momentum to a coming slash or thrust but then he'd crouch or somersault over her to change the angle of his attack. If there was any sort of rhythm to his attack then Toph sure as hell couldn't detect it.

Soon enough Toph understood what was happening. *He's using Juyo!* She thought to herself. Juyo was the most difficult and dangerous of all the seven lightsaber forms. It emphasizes using bold direct movements, mostly thrusts and stabs, in a staccato sequence of attack. The fact of the matter, however, was by no means easy to predict and the attacks didn't connect in any foreseeable way.

What made this form so powerful and dangerous was that it was inherently aggressive and could more often than not tempt its user to use the Dark side. On the outside a practitioner of Juyo may seem calm, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Internally there was a great conflict of bursting emotions and the thrill of battle that all added strength to the user. It was as close as any Jedi could ever get to actually enjoying the excitement of the fight.

The only way to master Juyo, however, was to have an absolute mastery of all the six other forms, something Sokka was lacking in. Sure he knew several sequences for all the forms, but his knowledge was still limited and so was his Form VII. Toph had to give him credit though; he actually forced out of the offensive and almost, nearly landed a scratch on her. Now it was time to end it.

As Sokka was preparing another set of attacks Toph left her defensive stance and came at him with her full strength. Sokka had figured Toph was holding something back, but he never imagined just how badly she was toying with him. Her average speed almost matched his max speed with Ataru and each attack was even stronger than before. What's more, she was now using an entirely new set of sequences that he had never seen before and couldn't defend against, or at least not at the speed she was attacking him with.

For a few seconds Sokka's mind went helplessly blank as her two lightsabers, which could've have actually have been six or eight, purposely missed him by a mere centimeter from each and every conceivable angle. He couldn't even raise his saber anymore without her cutting his arm off; he was helpless.

Toph suddenly broke off her attack, slid back a few meters, and then hit Sokka with a powerful push of the Force. His invisible barrier was up, but it didn't stop him from getting the wind knocked out of him or from skidding across the floor of the platform until his head was resting in nothing but open air. He quickly sat up and almost rammed his face into Toph's right saber. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this fight was over.

"Not bad Mutt. You almost scored hit on me," she grinned, "and here I was thinking you'd probably end up only hurting yourself."

Sokka gave her a slight smile. "So, you were toying with me this whole time huh? Guess I should've seen that coming."

"Yes and no," Toph said as she deactivated her lightsaber and allowed Sokka to get back up. "I was testing you."

"You mean my skills?" Sokka asked her. "How'd I do then?"

"It wasn't you skills I was testing Mutt," Toph corrected him. "It was your tendencies."

"Er, what?" Sokka couldn't hide how confused he was, but then again there was no reason to.

"Well you see," Toph explained with a finger held up like if she was an academy teacher who was getting ready to give him a lecture, "everyone has certain tendencies when they fight that tell you who they are. It's sort of like calligraphy; you express more about yourself than you realize when you do either."

"So basically you were trying to figure me out through fighting?"

"Yep, but mostly I was trying to see which of the seven forms you corresponded to the most. That way I would know where you should put you focus on during the rest of your training."

Now Sokka understood exactly what had happened. She could've finished him off with her first pass at him if she had wanted too, but that wouldn't have helped him learn anything. Toph was just trying to get a feel for his combat style so she needed to give him time to subconsciously adjust to his preferences.

"Okay, I guess that makes sense," Sokka said as he scratched the back of his head. "So what's the verdict Sifu? What did you find out about me?"

Toph brought a hand up to her chin and another down to her hips as if she was seriously contemplating the results of her test. "Well, I could definitely see why Yue would think that you had a penchant for Ataru; you definitely have a talent with agility and speed, almost as much as Aang. However," she continued, "as a Jedi Guardian myself I'd say that you Juyo is more your speed."

"Juyo? But Yue told me never to use that except in emergencies."

"And with good reason," Toph continued for him. "Out of all the forms Juyo is the most demanding and dangerous for a Jedi to learn and very few in the Jedi Order actually use it. In fact, it's still considered 'underdevelopment' because no one has been able to fully master it yet."

Sokka was now utterly bewildered. "But then why…?"

"Because you have a definite affinity for it," Toph answered him abruptly. "There are Jedi Masters who can't pull off Juyo the way you just did, even if it was incomplete. And I'm not just talking about the sequences and transitions Mutt, it's your state of mind. Throughout the fight I could catch a glimpse of what you were feeling; you were actually enjoying yourself."

Despite himself Sokka couldn't keep from blushing as the thought to himself. *Well I have to admit it was a good fight, but that might also be because of whom I was fighting…OH SHIT!!! She said she could catch glimpses of what I was feeling! Okay, okay, think of something else!*

Toph felt his heart beat and body temperature rise slightly when she told him about the fact that he was really getting into the fight. Then a thought came to her and even her own cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "NOT THAT WAY YOU PERV!!! I meant that you enjoy the thrill of the fight but don't get caught up in it!"

"Oh, right," Sokka responded sheepishly. "Hey! What did you mean by perv?!" Sokka was suddenly getting very defensive.

"You know what I mean."

"No I don't."

For a while they just glared at each other, Sokka with his arms crossed and Toph with her hands on her hips.

"Ugh, whatever!" Toph said as she finally broke the silence. "The bottom line is that you can keep your emotions in check during a fight. Moreover, you seem to have a natural talent for the unexpected, and by that I MEAN that you're good at coming up with irregular patterns of attack."

"I like to keep my enemies guessing," Sokka smugly responded. "If I were to become predictable then I'd end up dead real fast."

"That's probably the only reason you lasted this long." Toph added with a slight grin.

"Thanks, er, I think." Sokka replied a bit ineptly. He was still trying to figure out if she was being honest or just sarcastic; knowing her like he did he figured it was probably the latter.

"Anyways, I think that's enough for now." Toph calmly stated.

"Enough what?"

"Enough lingering around here Mutt; we've spent too much time as it is and we still have to find those Star Maps to unlock that damn holocron. Besides," she shrugged, "there's nothing else that I can't teach you while we search, so we better get going."

"Oh, right," Sokka agreed. With all this re-training he was getting he had completely forgotten about the holocron Revan had left him. In truth, he was beginning to wonder why he even bothered with the thing in the first place. Everything seemed so right as it was, but then again, if he hadn't started looking for a way to unlock it then wouldn't have met Toph, Katara, and the others.

"Hey, earth to Sokka!" Toph snapped him out of his thoughts. "You still there Mutt?"

"Yeah," Sokka said as he came back to the present. "I was just thinking about why I ever bothered looking for a way to open the holocron. It all seems so irrelevant now."

Toph gave him an angry scowl. "IRRELEVANT?! That holocron may be full of secrets that could bring down the Sith or maybe even give them the power to finish what Revan started!" She marched up and poked him in the chest without losing any of her bravado. "This isn't just about you! And don't you forget it!"

The Jedi's words stung Sokka, even though he knew that they were true. The fact of the matter was that all of them, the Jedi and even Borabus, were only helping him to further their own agenda. Helping him find his answers was only a byproduct, and by extent maybe retraining him as a Jedi was too.

Sokka just dismally smiled and shook his head. "Yeah, I know."

Toph's face softened a bit and she crossed her arms over her chest as she sighed. "That doesn't mean we're going to hang you out to dry either though. I mean do you really think I'd be wasting my time training you here if that were the case? And for that matter do you really think Katara would've threatened to turn me into the Masters for participating in illegal arena tournaments?"

"Heh, I guess not," Sokka smiled at her. She may have been a bit rough around the edges, but even then her words were just what he needed to hear. It gave him a strong sense of comfort to realize that he wasn't just a tool to them.

"Alright, let's get going Mutt. I think I've had enough of these heights for a lifetime." With that Toph turned and walked back towards the village center. Sokka followed her with a feeling of reassurance and a genuine smile on his face.


End file.
